Last Game Standing
by Ultra Blader
Summary: When all the world's biggest game companies join forces, an awe inspiring game is born. But something seems wrong. What could be the secret behind it. Find out, in Last Game Standing
1. The Preview

Last Game Standing

Chapter One: The Preview

**********

It had started two years ago. The main companies in cyber-entertainment had grouped together. There was a massive discussion: Could they do the impossible, and design and program a fully working virtual reality program? And if so, would it be possible to sell to the general public without any major flaws?

They hoped so. It would be the first time a completely interactive program could be set up, that anyone could access at any given time or place.

Sadly, this just wasn't possible. Portable virtual reality consoles were decades away from being produced. For that matter, the idea was dropped.

However, that didn't mean that a virtual reality game could not occur. Movie companies had been producing television shows and cartoons for virtual reality usage for years. Although only a marginal amount of the world's population had brought into it, those who had been interested kept coming back for more.

But television shows is one thing. Interactive games is quite another.

Although some virtual games had been published, they were too primitive. Often the game would crash when it received orders that were not programmed into its game engine. Thus most plans had been discarded.

But not this time.

Under one united banner, Computer Programmers United, or CPU for short, the major companies pooled their resources to make a pure masterpiece. It took two years for it to be developed far enough to become a stable game for demonstrations to be displayed, and a virtual console to be produced.

But that was the past. Let us move into the present.

**********

After two years of work, CPU finally completed the basic amount of designing and programming to provide the basics for a demonstration. A small group of CPU representatives, wearing black tuxedoes, stood in front of a large crowd of over four thousand people, waiting to see what was happening.

The main representative walked to the front of a large stage, where he was watched by everyone there. He glanced towards another representative, a young man in a shiny white jumpsuit. The youth was standing next to a large white-and-blue pod. The young man nodded, and the main representative began to speak to the crowd.

"Welcome. My name is Jake Palm. A couple of years ago, our organisation, known as CPU, began work on a virtual game program. This game would push our knowledge to the limit, and teach us more about cyberspace then most of us already knew. After months of dedication, we have completed…"

The crowd began to cheer wildly. Everyone, from a nine year old boy, to a elderly man, gave all their heart into this enthusiastic roar.

Jake Palm raised his hands, and there was silence. They all watched him diligently, waiting for him to continue his speech.

"As I was saying," Jake Palm continued, "we have completed a large amount of this game. However, despite this, the game is still imperfect. But we can still allow a preview, as well as a playable demonstration of our game. May I draw our attention to Carl Wentworth, our demonstrator?" Jake motioned towards the youth in the white jumpsuit. "Sadly," Jake continued, "We attempted to persuade him not to wear the jumpsuit, but he has no dress sense whatsoever." This got several laughs, and about a hundred suppressed giggles.

Carl walked towards the front of the stage. Now it was time for his speech. He recalled the instructions in his head: "Just say a few words, get into the machine, and let everyone else guide you though it."

With his instructions in mind, Carl started to talk. "Now, folks, I know y'all a bit disappointed about not getting this game tonight." This received a sullen "yes" from most of the crowd. "But all the same, you get to try a simulation of it for a good coupla of hours. That'll have ta do for now. Till then, it might be another few years before it gets released, but still, it's som'thin', right?" Carl went on, his heavy Texan accent creating dents in his English grammar. Most of the crowd was still upset, but certain individuals, who had been listening to every word the man had said, had gotten extremely excited. In less then a minute, realization had dawned on every last person in the crowd that they could play a demo of the best up-and-coming game yet.

Carl grinned. Now he had their attention. All he had to do was get into that pod and everything could start rolling.

"Now, ya may have noticed this pod? This here is our new virtual console. Notice how big it is? Ninety-nine percent of the world's population could fit here, and for those who are bigger than that, the pod can slide out to fit ya." With that, Carl opened up the pod. He put his hand inside the pod, and extracted a small amount of gel. People looked at it, confused.

"This here is the base of all our consoles abilities. Memory data, program files, and so on are stored in this stuff. This may seem weird, but it also contains special fluids that send ya into a sorta sleep. Then you load into the game, and your mind synchronized with the console, meaning stuff flows at the right pace, and not too slow or too fast, like with other virtual life consoles."

Now, if anyone wasn't watching Carl, they would have a serious need for a brain cell. This was a massive development for virtual reality programs. They hung on to his every word, and savored every piece of information he impacted on them.

Carl had their undivided attention, and he loved every moment of it. He put the gel back into the console. It rejoined perfectly. It wouldn't be damaged by exposure to the elements, as it was nearly impossible to dilute in any way, shape or form. It also provided plenty of breathing space from within the pod, without any of it being consumed whatsoever. It was perfect. Now he just had to prove it.

"I will now step inside the pod. The pod allows unlimited breathing space, and instant relaxation. There is no special clothing required for the pod, thus allowing anyone to play."

With that, Carl slipped into the pod, and watched as it closed slowly. As soon as the door had been shut, the gel multiplied, until the pod was completely filled by it. Now, engulfed by darkness, Carl began to feel tired. His body began to sleep, yet his mind was still somewhat awake. It registered what was going on, and decided that it was a dream. Carl slept, while his subconscious began to get in touch with its inner gamer.

**********

While this was happening, the people outside wondered what was happening to Carl. Could there be any explanation to what had happened? Would there be any way for them to contact Carl while he was inside the pod? And if so, how?

They needn't have worried. A large movie screen, unnoticed by all until now, had been activated. Around the bottom of the screen, several letters had formed. They said: "Carl Wentworth here. Lis'nin' for instructions and everytin' else."

Jake turned to his audience. Although Carl had put on a bit of a show, he had the run of the crowd once again. "As you can see," Jake began, "Carl's accent has transferred over to the game's database. This means that he is in perfect sync with the game engine, and visa versa. This means that he is now playing with nothing but his mind. This allows him to do almost any action that he could do normally, as well as some he previously couldn't."

The movie screen changed into a vibrant meadow, and a ray of light hit some grass. A moment later, Carl had loaded into the game.

"You'll notice that Carl himself is in the game, but that is the default avatar. The game registers your body image, and warps it to whatever you desire. This means you can be whoever you want, with a minimum of errors."

Carl's avatar walked across the meadow. He raised his hand. That was the signal. Backstage, a technician typed in the following code into the preview's program: enter:/item/blitzblade/area:/test/areaone.

Another ray of light hit the meadow, and a sword appeared. Carl ran towards it, and picked it up. A small textbox appeared, heralding that: "Carl found a Blitz Blade!" It was soon followed by another textbox, this time exclaiming: "Carl equipped a Blitz Blade!"

Jake motioned towards the screen. "The best thing about this game is that you save a lot of time equipping items. It takes only a few moments to have a character fully equipped, yet in battle, you will find that can take a while to do so. You will need plenty of willing allies to defend you if you are to do such dangerous maneuvers."

Several of the crowd thought about what Jake had just said. Others, however, were waiting for what would be main part of the game: the battle system.

"Now, I'm sure that you are all wondering about which battle system that we have deployed for this particular game. Is it real-time, turn-based, or from a one-person adventure point of view? The answer is this: all of them. Several areas will be played differently. This way, you can enjoy your favourite battle system without forsaking the rest." With that, cheers went up again from without the crowd. This time, the ultimate game had truly been achieved.

"Now, how about an example?" Jake said, in a lax tone. "Here we have Carl without an opponent. He really should have one. Otherwise, what is the point of having a battle system?" The technician heard this and typed in the following codes: enter:item/truepower/area:/test/areaone, and enter:item/replaytoken/area:/test/areaone. With that, two more items appeared in the meadow.

"Before we allow Carl to fight, we have two more items for him to equip. The small token is a Replay Token. It has only one usage, but it allows Carl to replay an attack. While this may seem meaningless, it deals the same damage over. However, if Carl's attack was countered, or missed, we would instead get a spectacular display of Carl's attack failing. He would also get damaged the same amount that he was dealt before. While it may seem like idiocy to use a Replay Token on a failed attack, you have to activate the Replay Token before you can use the first attack. Also, keep in mind that the Replay Token with react to any special technique, and not just attacks. The other item is known as the True Power. This object, known to be an item not unlike the Smash Ball, which can be seen in certain battles, releases a massive attack depending on the skills, items and powers that the user has. You only get one shot with each time you activate a True Power, so it pays to remain prepared for any unexpected movement from your opponent, lest your attack misses or is countered." Jake finished his long speech on the two items in question, and asked the crowd one simple question: "Who wants to see these items in action?" The reply was a huge cheer. Jake grinned. "I take that as a yes." He said happily.

Hearing those words, the technician typed in another code: enter:NPC/opponent/axebeserker4/area:/test/areaone. Another ray of light hit the ground, and a berserker, complete with bear skins and an axe, appeared. It noticed Carl across the field, and charged at him. Carl managed to dodge with ease, and the berserker's weapon hit the ground with a thud. Quite comically, the axe became stuck.

Using items quickly, Carl activated the True Power, followed by the Replay Token. His avatar flashed, and he jumped at the berserker, calling out: "Mega Blade Blitz!" Carl made several powerful slashes against his foe, before jumping high into the air, where his sword became charged with wild energy. Just when the sword's power had reached it's peak, he hurled it at the berserker, causing a large burst of energy from where the weapon had met it's mark. Carl floated to the ground, and caught the Blitz Blade as it whirled back towards him. Two-thirds of the berserker's health had been extinguished, yet Carl was not finished yet. With a childish cry of: "Let's see that again!" His character performed the Mega Blade Blitz again. This time, the move was shown as a cinematic. Every detail was shown, from hairs on Carl's head, to the flames that the Blitz Blade produced as it slammed into it's target. This time, the berserker could not survive. It fell with a thud, before exploding into gold and a new item, which Carl quickly snatched.

"And that," Jake said, "signals the end of our preview. The trial version will be active in one hour. Until then, relax, talk amongst yourselves, and have a good time. I will see you went the trial version begins." With that, the crowd began speak to one another about everything that had happened. The pod's door opened, and Carl came out, having had the ultimate game experience. But it would be nothing compared to that of the trial version, and even that would seem tiny compared to the complete version of the game that would come in a mere couple of year's time.

TO BE CONTINUED…

How do you like that? It took me a while to write, but I think it was worth it.

Ultra Blader


	2. The Trial Version

Last Game Standing

Chapter Two: The Trial Version

**********

One hour has passed, and the crowd is prepared to enter the demonstration version of the game. Some of them cheer, others yell. A handful remains quiet, yet excited of what is to come. But all of them are conscious of the amazing entertainment console they are about to test. Then finally, the doors open, and the crowd spills in.

It is then when they notice that something is different. The air in the large room where they had been but an hour ago has changed from a cool temperature to a strange moist climate. Even as they wonder inside, they begin to feel tired.

When the last of the crowd has come inside, the doors the lead out of the room had shut themselves, and become unable to shift. Now the admirers of the up-and-coming game are stuck in the large room where the demonstration took place.

Strangest of all, there are no pods for trial versions to be tested. It seems as though the free trials were nothing but a hoax.

Until Jake's voice rang across the large room.

"Welcome!" Jake's voice exclaimed. "Welcome to the trial version for CPU's greatest, and only, game! It seems that we could not provide enough pods for everyone for the moment, so instead we converted this entire room into one big pod. We installed several new supercomputers to govern all your games at once. After all, although we all only testing trial versions at the moment, most complete games would seem insignificant compared to this impressive trial version that we have prepared for all of you. So without further ado, let the program begin!"

The room's air became moister and moister, until most of the crowd realised that it was air at all, but gel. The gel seeped through the crowd, and they gently floated to the floor, half asleep. Then, when the last one of them started to rest, their minds began to synchronize with the game engine…

**********

Ryan was among the people who were about to enter the trial version. His mind homed onto an image, and created an avatar for him. It then started up the game. While the trial version had the ability to link up with another copy of the game, that function was currently inaccessible. With that in mind, the game began its complex way of assisting it's user through the tutorials and choosing a class.

Ryan stood on a strange, stone floor. As he looked around, images started to emerge. With them came letters, then words. Without thinking, he stumbled towards a large image of a knight. The knight drew his sword, and began to speak.

"Welcome to my abode, this land unknown to all but the ancients. Except you, and other brave travelers from distant lands, and distant worlds. I am a Defender of the Gates, a mysterious void which allows travel into lands hidden by space and time. I defend a land of medieval tales and stories. While it is but one of many, to me it remains home. But it is not a land that you may travel to as of yet. In fact, it was not included in the trial version. So, sadly, you must wait until you obtain a complete copy of the game before you may come here. But you can go to several other worlds in this trial version. However, before you can do that, you must complete the tutorial. Make your way to the figure on the right to begin your adventure in the tutorial lands." The knight returned to his original position, and remained like that.

Now, Ryan moved to the image on the right to the knight, a man dressed in pure white robes. Upon approaching him, the man looked at him, and sighed. "Another one, hmm? Come here, all prim and perfect, yet you don't know the first thing about the Gates, or about how to use special abilities. Very well, ask me about something."

A menu appeared. It had several choices, asking:

1: Who made and named the Gates?

2: How do the Gates work?

3: What is a special ability?

4: How can I use them?

5: How may I learn to become a great warrior?

After a while, Ryan decided to choose the first option, which boasted of some surprising results.

"Who made and named the Gates?" Ryan asked.

"Who made and named the Gates?" The man murmured. "WHO MADE AND NAMED THE GATES? Blasphemy! Blasphemy to the highest height possible!" The man screeched.

"Err… why is it blasphemy?" Ryan asked, quite confused.

"Nobody made the Gates! How could anyone possess such power? It would be impossible! …Except for someone as overly powerful as myself… No, the Gates were made by rifts caused by crevasses in the time-space continuum. They then became anchored in certain times and areas, even different planets, galaxies, even universes. The Gates were tamed in time by the ancients, such as I, for travel through the Gates would prove to be dangerous, even fatal if they were not correctly maintained."

"Hmm… Interesting. Who named the Gates? It would be an intelligent man, or ancient, who would understand these aged portals so well, yet would think of a simple name for them. In fact, it would have to be one who aligned with the ancients in taming the Gates themselves, to be allowed such a great honour."

"Err… Not quite. Actually, some guy called Bill named them. Don't know why. He was a lord, though."

"Really?"

"Yes indeed! He said he ruled Microsoft, or did once, before handing control over to his successors."

"Hmm… Bill of Microsoft. Where have I heard that before…? There seems to be a relation to the portals being called the Gates, too, but I just can't think where."

"I heard that they were named in his honour. The truth was that a couple of the ancients were having some computer problems, and Bill just happened to bounce out of one of the Gates. While he was here, he solved the ancient's problems, mostly because he upgraded their Vista computers, figured out several problems with the Gates, then jumped back through a Gate to his time, just before dinner."

"Okay. He sounds like a nice guy… Hmm… How do the Gates work? I mean, it must be difficult to maintain such structures."

"It is! It is! But through careful planning and gentle care, we manage to tame these wild beasts which link us up to different words throughout the space-time continuum. They feel the ebb and flow of different times and places, even throughout different dimensions, and gift us with the amazing opportunity to meet with a countless array of peoples, in a countless array of places. The possibilities are unlimited!"

"Hmm… Sounds great! I can't wait to try them! So, moving on, you mentioned special abilities. What are they?"

"You don't know what a special ability is… you are a greenhorn. No knowledge whatsoever! Hah! A special ability is something that gives you an edge in a certain area, be it healing or fighting, building or breaking."

"How can I use them?"

"You can use them by gaining enough power to learn them, then by either performing the actions necessary, or by using up a power source. There are several to choose from: Energy, Mana, Power, these are only a few that can be found throughout the Gates."

"Hmm… One question left. Can you teach me to be a mighty warrior?"

"I thought you would never ask. Come into the Tutorial Lands, the first Gate you shall travel into of many."

The man turned around, and walked into the Gate behind him. He disappeared into the swirling abyss.

Ryan looked around. "It's a tough choice. But if I want to journey across the Gates, I have to be ready to defend myself."

He then stepped up to the Gate to the Tutorial Lands. "Here… We… GO!" He said, hurling himself into the Gate beyond.

***********

Ryan landed with a thud, while the robed man floated down slowly.

"Ouch. That must have hurt." The ancient said. Ryan later swore that the man had the slightest smirk on his face.

"It did! How come you're not injured?"

"With experience, the Gates respect you more and more. Soon your landing will be as light as mine, with practice, of course. Anyway, this is a good chance to teach you about healing. L'Arachel! Over here, please!"

A young women on a horse galloped towards the duo. As soon as she arrived, she jumped off the horse and began to exclaim random sentences.

"Hi!" L'Arachel began, "I'm L'Arachel, the wondrous maiden of the blessed halls of Rausten! No evil, no matter how foul or vulgar it may be, can stop my powers upon their peak! With my companions Dozla and Rennac, no monstrous being may defeat me! For I am the almighty pr…" With that, the robed man put his hand over L'Arachel's mouth. She continued to mumble, but eventually gave up and became quiet.

"Anyway, this is L'Arachel. She's a Troubadour, a type of healer. She will teach you how to heal, and how to use mounts. First she will tell you about healing, and nothing else!" He said, glaring at the subdued L'Arachel.

"Hm… So you're new, huh. I'll teach you how to heal. First, you need to know the correct magic to do so. In that case, I give you the ability to cast Heal."

Ryan learned Heal!

"Now, select a target. In this case, select yourself."

Ryan focused on himself, and he glowed green.

"Good! Now, concentrate, and cast Heal! You can also cast this spell in a reverse manner, by selecting to use Heal first, and then selecting your target. It doesn't really matter, but you may feel more at home with that order."

Ryan cast Heal! Ryan healed himself by 15 Health! Ryan was restored to Full Health!

"Now that the lesson's over, I can start telling you of my glorious adventures throughout mmm mmh mhg!" L'Arachel said, the last few words altered quite differently, mainly due to the robed man covering the Troubadour's mouth with his hand once more.

"Now, are you going to behave?" the ancient asked.

L'Arachel nodded.

"Are you sure?"

L'Arachel nodded once more.

"Good girl. Now, teach the lad about mounts."

The robed man released his hold over L'Arachel, and the woman sighed with relief. "Alright, a mount is something you can ride, in my case, a horse. However, there are others types of mounts as well, such as Pegasus and Wyverns. Horses, however, make the best mounts for beginners, such as yourself. In a nearby meadow, there is a group of horses. Simply select the horse, and then yourself to get on it. However, the horse may not be tame. In that case, you must pat the horse, and even brush it. I doubt you will have to, though. I'll come with you."

L'Arachel joined your party!

"When you have more than one person in a party, you can switch between leaders to activate a larger amount of spells in the field, or move at a faster pace. I ride a horse, so I become quite quick. To switch party leaders, select yourself, and switch your position with mine.

Ryan and L'Arachel switched places! L'Arachel became the leader!

"Now we can move at a faster speed, we can get their quickly come on!" And with that, L'Arachel galloped in the direction of the horse meadow.

**********

"Please! Someone help my horse! I cannot leave her here!"

L'Arachel stopped in mid-ride. "That voice sounds familiar. We'd better investigate it."

The duo came towards a man in a green tunic with a sick horse by his side.

"I know this man!" L'Arachel exclaimed. "Hey, Link! What's wrong?"

"It's Epona." Link said upset. "She was bitten by a poisonous spider, and if I don't get some medicine soon, she'll die!"

"This is bad." L'Arachel murmured. "We'd better help out. This will also be a good opportunity to teach you how to use items. Here, let's see if you can learn to use this.

Ryan was given an Antidote!

"Now select Epona, and use the Antidote."

Ryan used an Antidote on Epona! Epona was ridden of her poison status!

"Good job, but that isn't enough to completely heal Epona. Heal won't do enough, and you aren't experienced enough to cast this, so I'll have to step up!

L'Arachel cast Mend! L'Arachel healed Epona by 35 Health! Epona was restored to full health!

"There are more powerful versions of spells, such as Mend is a more powerful version of Heal. Mastering these upgraded spells will assist you greatly in future battles."

Link turned to L'Arachel. "Thank you, L'Arachel. If you were not here, Epona would have surely died."

Ryan was still confused. "Why couldn't you go get an antidote? It isn't supposed to be that far from a town. There's one over there!" Ryan pointed to a small village three miles away. It had a rather large temple nearby. More on that later…

"There are monsters in these woods, and I would not leave Epona to fend for herself, particularly in her state."

Ryan nodded. "I understand. Now, where do we go from here? The horse meadow isn't meant to be far from here."

"The horse meadow? You wish to learn how to ride a horse? Hmm. There is a quick road there, but it is guarded by a group of goblins. We will need to defeat them to get to your destination."

"Err… Do we have to fight them? I'm sure that the long road with prove to be just as useful."

Link pointed to a large briar patch. "Do you see that prickly briar patch? That is all that is left of the long road to the horse meadow. You would have to fight your way through them."

"Couldn't you just cut it to pieces? I mean, you've got a sword. You could make light work of those briar patches."

"True, true. However, that would upset the briar spirits."

"Briar spirits?"

"Yes. First, they would cut you, then swipe at you, and entangle you, and then finally, they would strangle you. It isn't a nice way to die, trust me."

"Err… Something tells me that a couple of goblins don't seem too dangerous. I'll take my chances with them."

"Wise choice. Let's get moving!"

**********

After several minutes, Ryan, L'Arachel and Link made it to the goblins encampment. Several green creatures looked at them. They also looked ugly. After a few moments looking at the trio of adventurers, they decided to attack them.

The battle began swiftly. Link pulled out his Master Sword, and cut down three of the beasts as they ran at him. Only one of the goblin's attacks connected, and it made little difference once L'Arachel healed him with Mend. Only one goblin remained.

"How about you take him out?" Link said. "Shouldn't be too hard on you, they aren't very strong." The goblin repulsed with anger.

Ryan looked around wildly. "But I don't have a weapon…" He trailed off.

"No problem. This should be all you need." L'Arachel said, giving Ryan a branch.

Ryan was given a Thorn Branch!

"Great! Err… How do I use it?"

"By simply selecting yourself, and then you just have to select the Thorn Branch. After that, you can fight the goblin with ease." L'Arachel cheerfully said, as the goblin once more repulsed with rage.

"A branch? You want me to fight off a dangerous goblin with a branch?"

"Is that a complaint?"

"Yes!"

"Huh. Just attack him, before he attacks you!"

The goblin, which had been waiting a while, decided to take the first move, and promptly punched Ryan in the ribs. Yelping in pain, Ryan hopped backwards, before toppling over, much to the goblin's delight, as it continued to harm the young adventurer.

"Think we should help him?" L'Arachel asked as screams of pain echoed across the glade.

"No. Everyone who wants to become an adventurer has to learn the risks. If you want to go journey around, the first rule you have to remember is to know how to defend yourself. In time, he should learn that." Link said calmly as Ryan screeched for mercy.

"All the same..."

"I'm sure that he can remain on top of this battle. See? He's gotten up!"

"And fallen down again…"

"That's true. Right, enough is enough. Mind casting Mend?"

"Not at all, the young lad could use some help."

L'Arachel cast Mend! Ryan was healed by 35 Health! Ryan was restored to full heath!

"Thanks!" Ryan called out, kicking the goblin in the chest, giving him a chance to get back up before swiping the creature several times with his Thorn Branch. Moaning in pain at the indignity of it all, the goblin fell to the ground, and exploded into several gold coins. A cheesy victory fanfare sounded, and a textbox exclaimed that: Ryan found 10 gold and obtained 7 experience points!

"Next time, I'll think I'll take the briar spirits. Ugh… I didn't know that goblins could hit so hard."

"Don't worry. You're new to the battle scene. Fight a few battles with a goblin and you'll be able to counter their attacks with ease." Link said in an encouraging tone of voice.

"Really? Wow, I'm sure that I'll gladly rush into several more battles with goblins now!" Ryan replied, rolling his eyes.

"Anyway," L'Arachel said, "We have spent too much time here. The horse meadow is only a few metres away. Let's get moving!"

**********

After going through an inter-dimensional Gate, learning to cast basic magic, curing a horse, fighting a particularly nasty goblin, and learning about all the ways a briar spirit could maim you, the threesome finally made it to the horse meadow. Seems a bit too much work just to learn how to ride a horse, doesn't it? Anyway, they approached the meadow quickly.

"This is the place?" Ryan asked, looking at the horses.

"You were expecting something else?" L'Arachel asked.

"But, there must be something else here! A store, a house… Do any farmers work here?"

"One does. But he's an accomplished magician, so he knows how to take care of his animals. He sells horses to people with the money, and teaches people with the time how to ride them. No monster can enter the meadow, and no horse under the farmer's protection can leave. This way, he can safely spend his time in the nearby town, and only has to come here every few days. Anyway, we should get to work. We're already behind schedule."

Ryan walked cautiously towards a horse. The horse regarded Ryan for a few minutes, while he attempted to mount it. It was then that the horse decided to rear, causing Ryan to fall off rather painfully.

"Ouch." Link winced. "That must have hurt."

"It did." Ryan said, glared at him.

"Okay, just try another horse. This time, give the horse a pat before getting on."

Following Link's instructions, Ryan approached the horse, and gave a light pat before getting on. This time, Ryan did not get thrown off the horse at all. This was mainly due to the fact that he had been injured by the previous horse, and had completely failed to remember to use Heal. Because of this, he had no hope on having the strength to mount the horse. After remembering what to do, Ryan quickly cast Heal and got on the horse. Instead of rearing, the horse broke into a trot, startling Ryan, causing him to fall off yet again.

Many attempts of riding a horse later… (Most of them ending comically.)

Ryan had finally managed to ride a horse for more than a minute without falling off. He got down, and walked towards Link and L'Arachel, ready to go to his next destination. Unfortunately, the duo was currently unable to talk, or indeed move at all, as they were asleep.

Groaning that he would have to wait several hours before anything could happen, Ryan lay down, and began to sleep.

************

"Wake up, lazybones! Link, help me wake up Sir Snore-A-Lot!"

"Hmm… A bucket of water should do the trick…"

"Wait!" Ryan yelled! "I'm awake! I'm awake!"

Unfortunately, Ryan said this a moment too late, and a cascade of cold water dropped upon his head, causing him to moan. L'Arachel suppressed a giggle, only to do so in vain. Link, on the other hand, was grinning without delay at Ryan's state. Ryan, to put it one way or another, was not amused.

"Looks like you found out your next important piece of information: Sleeping." L'Arachel said. "Sleeping plays an important role in the lands of the Gates. Sleeping is a status effect, much like poison. However, unlike poison, anyone can sleep at any given time. Sleeping heals your wounds, and refreshes your mind, allowing you to reuse your magical energies. However, sleeping has its downsides as well. Most techniques cannot be used whilst sleeping, so you have next to no way to defend yourself. You can also be pick-pocketed or ambushed while sleeping, so you should normally sleep in an inn or houses you own or are given permission to use. Sleeping in the middle of the wilderness may be tempting, but you should always make yourself safe while doing so. Otherwise, you run the risk of being attacked."

Ryan nodded. "Understood. Is that it?"

"Not quite. Sleep can also be used an offensive technique. Observe!" L'Arachel commanded, as she pointed a stave at Link.

"No. Please no. Please, L'Arachel, don't cast it on me. Cast it on… zzz…" Link's words became hushed, thanks to L'Arachel's sleep spell.

L'Arachel cast Sleep on Link! Link fell asleep!

"There are other ways to obtain sleep status, but that's all we have time for at the moment."

"Do we have to wait for Link to wake up?" Ryan asked, confused.

"No. In fact, I'll wake him up myself! Wake up!" The errant Troubadour said, whacking Link on the head with her stave.

"Ah! L'Arachel! Stop that!" Link protested.

Ignoring Link, L'Arachel turned once more to Ryan. "Here. You should know how to use this. It'll give you a much needed edge in future battles.

Ryan learned Sleep!

"To use it, just select your target, namely Link." With that, the aforesaid Hylian glared at L'Arachel. "Now focus, and cast Sleep!"

Ryan cast Sleep on Link! Link fell asleep! Again!

"Now," L'Arachel said, happily, "May I have the honour?"

"You may." Ryan replied.

"Thank you." And with that, she promptly hit Link with her stave again, waking him up.

"Okay," Link moaned. "That's the last time I ever play guinea pig for you lot ever again."

Ryan smiled. "By the looks of it, me and Sleep are going to be very good friends. Very good friends indeed."

************

The trio rode to the nearby town, Ryan hitching a ride on Epona with Link, who was still mumbling about Troubadours and oversized egos. After a few minutes, they had arrived.

"Our next stop in supposed to be in the inn. Your next tutor is waiting there." L'Arachel told Ryan.

"Great! Err… Who is the new tutor? And what do they teach?"

"This one's supposed to teach about how to use offensive attack magic."

"Nice. Hey, why don't we go inside?"

"Good idea. Otherwise we'll look simply disorientated, standing around here."

Inside the inn, the trio was called on by the innkeeper.

"Hey? You called L'Arachel?"

"Yes indeed," L'Arachel replied. "Do you wish to hear about my great exploits and adventures on my quest to van…" Link quickly covered her mouth, as to stop her rambling on about herself for hours on end.

"Nah, miss. I was told to give you this. By some fancy looking guy, accompanied by a large, laughing guy dressed up as a Berserker. Said it was very important that you get this letter as soon as possible, and to return to Rausten."

L'Arachel tore the letter open, and read the contents. "Oh my! It seems that the great realm of Rausten is in need of my divine powers once more! Link, Ryan, I bid you farewell, and good luck on the rest of your journey! Good bye now!" And with that, she left.

"Wow. That's one hyperactive missus you two had to travel with. Don't think I could stand her, me self."

"Believe me; I can barely stand just being with her for five minutes, let alone a full day." Link replied. "Anyway, Ryan, I don't think you've ever had anyone leave your party before, hmm? Just as much as people will join your party, are they as likely to leave it. Sometimes they run out of fear, sometimes because their either too injured or dead to help you anymore, or if you just plain run out of money to pay them. No matter what happens; it always boils down to this: That everyone will most likely leave your party at some point or another. But that is not entirely a bad thing. If you always have the same people in your party, you could never experience all the different kinds of battles and battle tactics that you could if the adventures with you were always the same."

"Hmm… Interesting. How long till you leave?" Ryan replied.

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. Anyway, where's this tutor? He should have popped up by now."

"That would be me."

"Huh?" Ryan and Link responded.

A small, scrawny boy timidly walked towards the duo. His blonde hair was shaped similarly to the ice-cream on a soft-serve cone, and his shirt and shorts had nothing impressive about them. He gave no impression whatsoever of a mighty mage with the power to devastate entire worlds. Ryan was not impressed.

But, unlike Ryan, Link seemed to know the lad. "Hello, Lucas! How is everything back in the Nowhere Islands?"

"Just fine. Duster's leg is acting up a bit, but apart from that, everything's working out perfectly."

Ryan decided that it was time he entered the conversation. "Err... Link, do you know this boy?"

"Know him? Of course! This is Lucas, your next tutor, and one of the most advanced magical fighters that I've ever known."

"But isn't he a bit… well… small?"

"Size means nothing when it comes down to magic. The smallest man can fell the largest giant in a matter of moments with the pure, raw force that magic exudes, and Lucas here is no exception."

"Still…"

"How about we go up? I've booked us a room in the inn for the night." Lucas stated.

"But it's not even close to getting dark. It's only ten o'clock in the morn…" Ryan's voice trailed off as he realised that it was already dark. "Meh. Fine, I'll come."

************

Ryan and Link followed Lucas up to the top floor of the inn, where he showed them a door into the room that he had booked. Hoping Lucas had somehow enchanted the inn room to enlarge it tenfold, he charged into it. Only to bang his head on the other side on the room. Which was less than five metres away. Sad.

The room was thin, but long. It held five beds, each one rather tiny. There was little space for much else. A small, unlit, fireplace and half a dozen buckets of water were all else the room held.

"Er… Lucas? Couldn't you afford something, maybe, a bit bigger? Like, for example, big enough for us to move about in without getting concussion?" Ryan asked.

"I'm sorry. I don't have very much money. I don't get paid much for tutoring people, and I'm too young to get a job back home. No-one would take me unless it was a joke. That's why. Maybe, though, if people start taking me seriously, I can start getting some better quality rooms and so on."

"Oh…" Ryan said, now unable to say a harsh word to the young lad. "So, what do you have to teach me?" he began.

"How to use attack magic: The spells PK Fire and PK Freeze." One of Lucas' hands suddenly ignited in flames, while the other froze, giving it a crystallized image. "Here. I'll gift you these spells."

Ryan learned PK Fire and PK Freeze!

"Now," Lucas instructed, "light the fireplace in the room with PK Fire. To do that, target the fireplace…"

Ryan did so.

"…Then select PK Fire, and you will perform the action."

A sliver of lightning shot out from Ryan's hand, struck the fireplace, and caused it to light up.

"Good job. Now, you must freeze those buckets full of water that are also in the room. Target a water bucket…"

Ryan did that command as instructed.

"…Then select PK Freeze, and you will perform the action."

This time, a large snowflake burst from Ryan, landing on the water bucket he had chosen. The bucket froze, soon followed by the other buckets.

"You didn't just freeze that bucket, but also the other ones as well. Good job. That's called "splash damage", and can occur due to certain techniques, spells, and weaponry. Splash damage can be useful in some situations, but can actually be a hindrance in others. The type of spells that you select for usage, and the way you apply them, will greatly determine how you deal splash damage or not."

After the lesson, Lucas yawned. "It's late. I think it's time we went to bed. Good night."

And with that, the trio fell asleep.

************

The next morning, they awoke, and Lucas informed Ryan of their next destination. "The nearby temple," he said, "is where we are going."

They left the town, and made their way to the temple. Quietly, Ryan peered inside. He observed the figure inside curiously.

"There's a dog in there, meditating."

Link and Lucas' faces suddenly turned a pale shade. "Don't call him that!" Lucas panicked. "If he hears you say that, then, then…"

"What?" Ryan asked.

Link was on the verge of panicking alongside Lucas. "You don't want to know. Trust me, you do not want to know."

"Why?"

"Let me put it this way… The last person who called Lucario a dog is currently pushing up daisies."

"Huh? What do you mean by that? Hmm… Ah. I see. Pushing up daisies means that you've been buried, which means… Oh dear."

Link nodded. "Exactly. Normally he gives people who don't know him a simple warning, but if you continue calling him that… well, you get the picture. If you must think of him as a kind of normal animal, think of him as a jackal. He doesn't get so annoyed when you call him that."

"Got it. Now, let's go."

"Exactly. You have already wasted enough time."

"Huh?"

Lucario had spoken for the first time. He had remained silent as the grave until now. He stood up, and walked towards the trio.

"Now," he said to Ryan, "I am your Special Attacks, or Techniques, tutor."

"Err… I thought Lucas already taught me how to use special attacks."

"Ah," Lucario replied, "He simply taught you how to use offensive magic. I teach you how to use special techniques, or Techs for short."

"Fine. So, what do I learn first?"

"Firstly, you were given a Thorn Branch at one point, yes? Good. Some Techs can only be used with a weapon, such as your Thorn Branch. The Tech I am about to teach you is called Spinning Slash. Here, I'll grant you usage of it.

Ryan learned Spinning Slash!

"Now," Lucario continued, "Follow me outside. You will need to practice your attack, and this is no place to do such a thing."

Following Lucario outside, Ryan braced himself, wondering what terrible monster he would have to defeat…

***************

"A dummy?!"

"Yes. A dummy."

"Do you mind telling me why I need to fight a dummy of all things?"

"No. I simply considered that you were under skilled in the ways of battle, and therefore needed to fight something that would not cause you any harm.

"Huh?"

"In other words," Link said the confused Ryan, "He thinks that you are weak."

"Oh… Hey!"

"If you think that you are not as weak as I think you are," Lucario stated, "Then destroy the dummy. It will only be destroyed if you use a Tech, but in order to do that, you must use normal attacks first. By doing so, you can build up enough power to use a Tech. However, before you begin, you should know about combos. Combos, or combination attacks, feature more than one attack executed in one turn. These combos are formidable, and useful for preparing to use a Tech, although they do have their weaknesses, such as tiredness after a particularly long combo. Anyway, without further ado, you may begin."

Ryan began his assault on the dummy. After about four minutes, Lucario shouted out: "Stop!"

Ryan stopped. Lucario began to lecture again. "Now, you have fought enough to unleash a Tech. When you can use a Tech, something will notify you, such as a sound, a light, or an object. Now, simply concentrate, and unleash your Tech."

"…" Power started to gather around Ryan, as he flourished the Thorn Branch, before beginning to spin around. He launched himself at the dummy, slashing the air as he went, before connecting. Then, he unleashed several short blows before delivering one huge, shattering blow upon the dummy. The dummy was devastated by this last attack, and it fell, broken apart, like a flurry of autumn leaves.

Lucario clapped. "Very well done. A good show indeed. Now, although that attack was quite strong, you may find yourself requiring more than one Tech in order to be a more formidable opponent on the battlefield. For that matter, I shall teach you another Tech, namely Force Palm."

Ryan learned Force Palm!

"However," Lucario continued, "You cannot use Force Palm without being about to use Aura. Aura is one of the powers that you may call upon in the Lands of the Gates. For that matter, I bestow you the power to use Aura. Beware, however, as you may only use Aura so often. After your power supplies are all used up, you will need to recharge your Aura energies. This can be done through battle, rest, going to certain places, or simply while time progresses."

Ryan gained the ability to use Aura!

"Now, you may begin practicing. Prepare to attack another dummy."

Now, Ryan started to attack a second dummy, which had appeared out of nowhere, like many things in computer games. After about three minutes, Lucario again yelled out: "Stop!"

Ryan halted. He then focused hard, and drew strength from a source that he had never known, yet seemingly felt like he always had the power to call upon. His hand glowed a rich, bright blue, as it connected with its target. The pulsating light radiating from his palm erupted into the dummy, sending it flying.

"Excellent!" Lucario stated. "Few can match a Force Palm of that power, considering you have not been trained in the Aura arts in the past. Now, we must leave this area, and make our way to the place where the final trial shall take place. Then and there, you shall discover if you really have the power to travel the inspiring lands of the Gates."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ryan exclaimed.

"It is good to show enthusiasm," Lucario noted. "Allow us to accompany you. But before you go… Lucas!"

"Right!"

Ryan was surrounded by a healing light! Ryan was restored to Full Health! Other Power Gauges, such as Aura, have also been filled!

"Thankyou," Ryan said. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Link stated. "The sooner we leave, the better."

A mysterious portal appeared! Ryan, Link, Lucas and Lucario have been warped to a different location!

*********************

A very familiar hill was the location of the final trial. The quartet slowly floated to the ground…

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

… or should I say, Link, Lucas and Lucario floated to the ground. Ryan simply fell.

"Why me?" Ryan groaned.

"Why not?" replied a very familiar voice.

"Hey… you're the ancient who took me here in the first place! Fancy that, meeting you in a place like this!"

"Err… Is he really this dense?" Lucario quietly asked Link.

"Yes, I'm afraid he really is." Link replied.

"Do you remember this place?" the ancient clothed in white robes asked.

"Well, it does look kinda familiar… Sorry, mind's a blank."

"Fool! You were here but two days ago, and yet you already forget this place? The entrance to the Gates? Forgotten by a mere mortal like yourself? Disgusting! You leave me no choice! In order for you to prove your worth, you must defeat me!"

"Wait! This is against regulations!" Lucario roared.

"Yes! The trial is to fight a somewhat average opponent, not an ancient!" Link exclaimed.

"Umm… I think… that… um… those two have a point…" Lucas whimpered.

"Silence! I will not be stopped! This is my true power, the height of my strength! I have savored it all for this one point! Ryan! Your foolish days have reached its end! An ancient is the height of power infused in corporal form, and I will not halt in proving my people's great legacy! I shall not be scorned in such a way, and nor shall my people!"

The ancient grew in size, and Lucario, Link and Lucas ran to Ryan's aid.

"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" the ancient screeched.

"Oh no… Did he just say that?" Link asked Lucas.

"He did. Oh dear." Lucas whimpered.

Lucario rushed at the ancient, and continuously attacked. Force Palm after Force Palm, Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere. Ryan joined in the assault, pounding the ancient with Force Palms. When his Aura supply finally ran out, he pulled out his Thorn Branch, and prepared to attack with his Spinning Slash. The ancient simply held out his hand, and summoned a reflective barrier. Ryan slammed into the barrier, and fell to the ground in mid-strike.

"Do you think you can really stop me with that mere branch? The mere thought of it makes me shiver with mirth!" the ancient sneered. "And in such a way, too! Really, who attacks by spinning around? What a silly thing to do!"

Link glared at the ancient, and without a word, began to attack. Lucas murmured under his breath: "Seriously, what's wrong with fighting with a branch? I do it all the time."

This time, Ryan began to attack with his PK attacks. After failing to hit the ancient with two PK Freezes, he started to spam PK Fire. The first few connected, but the ancient soon had his reflective barrier up again, causing the attacks to fly back towards Ryan.

"Really, did you seriously manage to master magic? I thought you had to actually have a brain to do such a thing. Although, you're magic really is inferior. I doubt that you will last much longer. After all, if you can cast such powers, then anyone who fights with that magic must be an idiot!" the ancient exclaimed.

Lucas looked at the ancient. "No. I use that magic. Yet I am not weak. Yet I am not an idiot. You are the weakling. You are the idiot. May my psychic powers speak for me, may they perform the actions that are louder than words a thousand-fold. PK Fire! PK Freeze! PK Thunder!"

The first attack sharply pieced the ancient's barrier. The second froze him into place. The third sent jolts of electricity through the ancient's veins. The ancient screamed in pain. Ryan ran towards the ancient. This time, there would be no stopping him.

He leapt at the ancient. Several short slashes contacted, but it was the final, devastating slash which caused him to whirl through the air, slamming into his enemy. The ancient fell to the ground, the ice which surrounded him shattered into a million tiny shards. But it was too late. He was exhausted. Before Ryan could finish him off, he begged for mercy.

"Well done, lad. You won. Of course, you had help, but you show potential. I should watch my temper. But you did well. Now, allow me to restore you, and your companions to full strength."

The party was surrounded by a healing light! They recovered all health. All Power Gauges, such as Aura, were also filled!

"You have done well. Now, I gift to you this: The ability to roam the gates. May you find solace, even peace within its worlds. Now, the time has come. Link, Lucas, Lucario… You must all return to your own worlds. This world shall be closed for the duration. For the simple reason that there is no others who wish to learn. When people asked to traverse the gates, then I shall open the way again the moment that happens. Now, Ryan, you may ask me a question. I know you have one on your mind, and that it has troubled you for a while now."

"Yes… Why do all the instructors' names start will 'L'?"

"Hmm… Because L stands for Learning. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, allow me to save your game. Then, you may go with my goodwill, and absorb the sheer brilliance of the beauty of the lands of the Gates."

GAME SAVED.

Everyone listening???

"Huh?" Ryan said.

"What, Ryan?" the ancient asked.

"I thought I heard something…"

Trial Version ending now. I'm QuickSaving all games now. You'll be allowed to start at your current point once you next play

"There it is again!"

"What, pray tell?"

"That… That voice!"

GAME QUICKSAVED

Ending all games. Beginning action: EndProg

Ryan looked around. Link, Lucas and Lucario, people he had known for only a short time, were fading out of existence. The ancient also began to blur in image. Eventually, the land was blanketed in a white haze.

********************

Through the hall, people were starting to wake up. They were having such a nice time, too.

Ryan picked himself up, and walked towards a man giving out brochures about the game.

_I don't care if it was just a game. _He thought. _It was fun. Those people were really funny, even though they were just game data. I can't help it. I want this game! I want it right away!_

If only Ryan knew. Although the game was quite popular, it would face some major problems in it's time. And Ryan would be in the very epicenter of the disasters, whether he wanted to be or not.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Man that was long! Anyway, I think I did a good job. I copied the idea of Lucario hating being called a dog off Wiiboychris, or AuraChannelerChris, as he now calls himself. If you mind me using that plot piece, Chris, just tell me, and I won't use it anymore.

Anyway, it might be a while until I update next, so…

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


	3. Release

Last Game Standing

Chapter Three: Release

************************************************************************

It had been two years since the trial version had been tested in the hall. There had been many delays, due to discussions within C.P.U. about quitting the production of the game. Some reasoned that it would be too hard to make such a large game, and the difficulties of making the desired console in such large numbers. But, in time, they were set aside. It seemed like nothing would stop the game from being released.

They had been two years of hard work, constant arguing and planning. But finally, it was ready.

A massive landslide of mail orders for copies of the game, and the console pod were made. There were so many orders, that there were people who had been delaying in ordering were going to have to wait a least another month, while a second production line would be prepared.

Ryan had been quick to order. He would not take a single risk in getting a copy of the game. He was so avid about obtaining it, that he had managed to secure a ticket to the release party and presentation. Several things would be revealed there, including the name of the game itself, which had eluded even the most addicted fans.

It would be there that he would see the game in full flight, but he would not experience the full version for himself until he had plugged the console into the wall, and loaded the game.

************************************************************************

"Hello! My name is Jean Maiden, and I'm reporting just outside C.P.U. headquarters. As it has become well known as of late, C.P.U. stands for Computer Programmers United, a sort of combined company of most of the world's major game companies. It is a mere ten minutes until this breakthrough in virtual reality is released to the public. When the clock hits half past eight, the doors will be open to the public for the very first time in two years, and people will be able to purchase copies of the game and the console that is required to play it, along with a number of stalls, which will contain information, screenshots, and trailers of the game. A gift shop has also been provided, with merchandise, such as figurines."

A woman was reporting just outside the C.P.U. building. A large crowd had assembled nearby. Ryan was amongst them. He had been late arriving, and was grumbling about how he should have left the house at half past three, in order to be the first in line, instead of falling asleep on the couch after making room for the pod console.

The reporter continued to talk. "Any minute now, the doors will open. After twenty minutes, the conference will begin. Only those who have bought specialized tickets will be able to enter. Channel Five has been granted the media rights to this presentation. However, after the first ten minutes, the door leading to the conference room will close, and nobody will be allowed to go to or from the area until the meeting is over. This is Jean Maiden, reporting from C.P.U. headquarters." The reporter said. Once the cry of "Cut!" was heard, she instantly relaxed, and asked the cameraman how well she had done.

"Not bad, not bad at all. No mistakes or anything. You just breezed through it."

"Did I?" Jean replied. "Probably just as well. Kent's covering the conference, isn't he? I mean, sure, this is a big deal and all, but I don't really see why I had to do the pre-conference report."

"Kent's late as usual. He had dressed casually, like he was just another fan in the crowd."

"Again? Typical of Kent. He's always doing something weird."

"I know, I know, Miss Maiden. But he can walk the walk, and talk the talk of the gaming companies, and there aren't many people at Channel Five who can do that. Besides, if he hadn't of been such a big fan, we couldn't have possibly have managed to find out about this conference on time to buy the media rights. We would have lost it to OnShowTV, just like we lost the rights to advertise the EzyPen to them, six months ago."

Jean Maiden winced at the comment. She was the one who had bungled the deal. Her "informant" from WrittenDown, the company that had manufactured the EzyPen, a pen that boasted extra grip, a medium strength inbuilt light, and more than twice the amount of ink, had turned out to be Maya Davidson, a young actress hired by OnShowTV to advertise the EzyPen, who had become somewhat famous by her success. Every time Jean saw the television advertisement, she couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed by her mistake.

It was then that Kent appeared. Jean moved out of the way, and the cameraman stated that: "You've got two minutes, Kent. Better get a move on."

"Got it. Thanks for taking care of my slot for the last few minutes, Jean."

"No problem." Jean simply replied. She then walked off home. It was getting late, and she wanted to avoid the rush of well over a thousand game-hungry fans.

************************************************************************

"Hi, I'm Kent Marksman. Tonight is a special night for gaming fans worldwide, as tonight we get to see C.P.U, or Computer Programmers United, shining their brightest. There is a tense, thrilling atmosphere, as the promise of the world's greatest game so far is about to become a very real reality. Virtually, at least! Anyway, without any more interruptions…"

"Ten! Nine!"

"Wait a minute… listen to the fans as they count down the final seconds..."

"Eight! Seven!

"Wait for it, wait for it…" Kent murmured.

"Six! Five!"

Kent had given up on waiting, and started to chant with the crowd.

"Four! Three! Two! One!"

The entire crowd tensed itself to run. At the first sign of a creak, of an opening door, they would rush towards it.

Slowly, the doors opened. The crowd stood there, fixated by the doors slow opening. Then they heard the three simple sentences which broke the spell:

"Computer Programmers United is now open for business. What are you all doing outside, just standing around! Come inside, everyone!"

Those twenty words did the trick. Everyone ran to the door, as if they had been promised a thousand dollars, but they were only handing them out to the first ten people, or if they were trying to get away from a serial killer, and the building offered unparalleled safety and reassurance.

Ryan had tried to get there first, but stumbled and fell, only to be run over by an army of rapid fans. He got up, dusted himself off, and made his way to his destination: The C.P.U. building, the conference, and his copy of the latest game out.

************************************************************************

The conference had been interesting for Ryan. He had met some of the people behind the latest game. He had found out about special tactics and items that he could use in the game, and changes that had been applied to the game since the trial version. He had found out the name of the game: Last Game Standing. He had grinned at the somewhat corny name.

But most importantly for Ryan, he had obtained his copy of the game, as well as one of the pod consoles. Now, he was ready to play.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A new chapter and another cliffhanger! Next chapter WILL contain parts of the game itself. Stay tuned. Beam in. And don't forget to review!

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


	4. Character Development

Last Game Standing

Chapter Four: Character Development

************************************************************************

Ryan slowly plugged the pod console into the wall. As soon as he did, lights on the console began to appear, and then brighten. He sighed in relief. It was ready.

He slid the pod door open. The sap inside the console was there, a mysterious slime, thinner than water, and as breathable as air. He was ready.

He climbed into the pod, and shut the door. Drowsy thoughts enshrouded his mind as he drifted off into unconsciousness…

************************************************************************

"Please state the name of your character."

Ryan looked around. He was in a complete and total darkness. He looked down, and noted that he was standing on a small, white disc. He attempted to run off the platform, and was knocked back for his troubles.

"Please do not attempt to leave the platform. Please state the name of your character."

There was the voice again. After several minutes, Ryan gave up thinking up a new name and simply called out: "Ryan!"

"Confirm character name: Ryan?" The voice asked. Ryan nodded. The voice took this as a response and continued with: "Character name confirmed as: Ryan." With these words, the letters in Ryan's name appeared, one by one. Several copies of Ryan's name floated around the platform, some showing different writing styles, and even in different languages. (Digimon, anyone?)

Next the voice asked what could be translated as a more embarrassing question. "Please state your gender." Ryan was taken aback somewhat, before replying with: "Why, can't you tell?"

The game did not take this as a valid answer. "Please state your character's gender." Ryan got over his slight embarrassment and stated: "Male." Wanting to be sure, the game followed up with: "Confirm character gender: Male?" Ryan, still somewhat embarrassed, quickly said: "Yes! Yes!"

Happy with the answer, the game's voice then said: "Character gender confirmed as: Male." A blue male sign appeared, floating near the first copy of Ryan's name to appear. The other versions of Ryan's name soon faded away, leaving the area almost completely empty once more.

Following that question, the game then asked: "Please state your species. Several models of different species have been provided for your convenience."

Several figures appeared next the platform. The game's voice then continued with: "Most species are currently unavailable, and will become unlockable once you complete certain features of the game."

Ryan reached out, and touched the first figure, one of a human. The voice began to speak again.

"Humans are a common sight in the Lands of the Gates, and are seen in most worlds. They can learn almost every skill, and wield almost any weapon. Sadly, they are not capable of becoming masters of any particular art, and instead find relief in their diverse skills, and use several different techniques to win their battles. They can choose any world to begin in, giving them an advantage in that respect. Do you wish to select this species?"

Ryan shook his head. "Yes, but I want to see the other races first."

The game's voice responded. "Understood. Would you like to see the next species?"

Ryan nodded, and the figures dulled. Then, another figure, this time of a small man with a mushroom sitting rather squarely on his head, brightened as the game once again decided to speak.

"Toads are easily the most common species in the Land known as the Mushroom Kingdom," it droned. "They are small, and, despite their mushroom caps on their heads, are somewhat fast. Their mushrooms are the key to their power, as they hold spores to which is dangerous to most other organisms. However, Toads are immune to the poisons that they contain in their toadstools, meaning they can use it where they want, whenever they want. Sadly, Toads make poor hand-to-hand fighters, using mainly their spores, indirect weaponry, or magic to assist them in combat. Selecting the Toad species will immediately unlock the world: Mushroom Kingdom, but you will not be able to select any other world to start off in. Do you wish to select this species?"

Ryan shook his head once more, and the Toad figure began to dull. Another figure, this one seemingly similar to that of a human, began to brighten.

"Hylians are, at first glance, a lot like humans. However, it soon becomes apparent that they are more than they appear. Hylians have pointed ears, stand slightly taller than most humans at maturity, and have a different muscle build to humans as well, allowing them impressive maneuverability and agility. While they may seem superior to humans, they are technically weaker in classes that require brute force, and cannot use many weapons that also require massive muscle strength. Their saving grace, however, comes from their use of light to medium weaponry, and their mastery of enchantments and healing magic. They can also use magic for offensive purposes; however, they do not often take this path. Selecting the Hylian species will immediately unlock the world: Hyrule, however you will not be able to select any other world to start off in. Do you wish to select this species?"

Although it was tempting, Ryan decided against choosing to play as a Hylian. Brute force was a massive help in RPGs, and he didn't want to play as someone who couldn't use that to a high level of prowess.

The figure of the Hylian dulled, and the one next to it, a small yellow mouse, lit up. The voice began to describe it.

"Pokemon are, or at least in most varieties, are one of the least human-like races out of all the major species in the Lands of the Gates. They are also one of the most varied, if not the most so. There are well over four hundred currently known kinds of Pokemon, and new breeds are being found all the time. Many species are interlinked, and it is not unheard of for Pokemon to change rapidly into another form, a process known as evolution. Selecting to play as a Pokemon will allow you to select a starting form, although other forms are unlockable. Also, keep in mind that each breed of Pokemon is limited in the number of skills they can learn. To solve this problem, groups of Pokemon will often band together to cover each other's weaknesses. Several humans have picked up on this, and have taken up the title "Pokemon Trainer", training Pokemon that they have recited over time to assist them in combat. Selecting the Pokemon species will immediately unlock the world: Kanto, however you will not be able to select any other world to start off in. Do you wish to select this species?"

Ryan quickly stated that he would not choose it, and was rewarded with the Pokemon figure dulling in colour, and the Human figure brightening again. He let the game drone on about its explanation of the human species, and, when asked about if he would like to play as a human, accepted.

"Confirm character species: Human?" The game voice requested. Ryan nodded.

"Character species confirmed as: Human." The game said. "Now creating avatar. Please wait while avatar is created."

There was a flash of light, and Ryan was… not changed in the slightest. He shrugged, and was asked: "Confirm character avatar?"

"Meh, okay." Ryan simply stated, and listened as the voice said: "Character avatar confirmed."

Ryan continued to listen as the game said: "Please choose a class. There are currently seven classes to choose from that are available to your chosen species."

This time, Ryan noticed that seven figures, all of them human, had appeared. The first one was a man dressed in armour. He touched the figure, which then brightened.

"Warriors," the game stated, "are common in the Lands of the Gates. They can wield most melee weapons, and can rapidly attack while the Advance ability is activated. However, while they do this, they can fall prey to surprise attacks. They can dispatch Thieves, White Mages and Freelancers with ease, but have trouble dealing with Monks and Red Mages, and are nigh on helpless against the power of a Black Mage's magic. Humans make great Warriors, although Hylians and most types of Pokemon are also capable to following this path. Toads can also become Warriors, but they do not become as powerful. Do you wish to become a Warrior?"

Ryan decided against it. "I'll see the other classes first." He said.

The Warrior figure dulled, and the one next to it, a figure of a man in tattered clothes, brightened. The game began its explanation.

"Thieves are quick of both wit and intelligence. Their equipment is limited to light weaponry, but they make what little they have deadly with their fast-paced attacks. Their Steal ability proves useful, but there are many items that are impossible for a Thief to steal. They often take their enemy by surprise, using ambush tactics to take them by surprise. They can cull both White and Black Mages in a matter of moments, and can deal with inexperienced Freelancers quickly. Sadly, they cannot deal with Warriors, Monks or Red Mages very well, and so it is advised for Thieves to stay away from them. To Thieves, the element of surprise means anything. They can tell if someone is attempting to sneak up on them, and are required to ambush opponents to have the upper hand, something that comes naturally to the greatest of Thieves. Hylians and Toads make great Thieves, although Human Thieves are not unheard of, and the same for Pokemon Thieves. Do you wish to become a Thief?"

The idea of being weaker than most direct-damage jobs didn't impress Ryan. "No thanks." He said.

The figure of a Thief faded in colour, only for another to replace it. A figure of a man in white robes brightened, as the game began to talk once more.

"White Mages are impressive healers. Although they lack strength in muscle, they make it up in willpower. They are good assistants in battle. They can withstand magic attacks from Red Mages and Freelancers, and can survive most magical spells a Black Mage can send at them. They equal attack power with Black Mages, and can learn to match up to a standard Freelancer. However, they can only do so much against a Red Mage's blade, and also fall prey to Warriors, Thieves, and Monks. Hylians make great White Mages, although Toads, some Pokemon and Humans also do well in this area. Do you wish to become a White Mage?"

Ryan wanted to fight fiercely, not stand somewhere behind a barricade, healing. He quickly denied using the class.

Once again, the figure dulled as another brightened. This time, a man wearing a pitch-black robe and a large yellow hat with a high point appeared.

"Black Mages are masters of battle magic. They have many different types of elemental magic at their disposal. Their magic can dispatch Warriors quickly, and can also deal with Thieves. Their magic can also defeat Freelancers, and overwhelm inexperienced Red Mages. However, they have trouble dealing with White Mages, who have a built-in resistance to most basic magic attacks, and fall prey to Monks, whose training in body and mind teaches them how to deal with enemy magic. They also cannot fight well trained Red Mages, and do not stand much of a chance in close combat. Pokemon and Toads make the best Black Mages, although this path is also open to Humans and Hylians. Do you wish to become a Black Mage?"

While more tempting than the Thief and White Mage jobs, Ryan decided against taking the Black Mage class. The Black Mage was replaced with a well-muscled man, who did not wear a shirt, wearing only the lower part of a robe.

"The Monk class is the greatest beginner's class for unarmed combat. They use their entire bodies to beat their enemies into submission. They have honed their body and their mind as one, giving them an edge against magical opponents. For that matter, they can finish quickly both White and Black Mages, and can deal with Warriors, Thieves, Red Mages and Freelancers as well. The one great weakness of the Monk is that they have little chance against armored enemies. This can be remedied later on, but leaves a massive problem for aspiring Monks until then. Hylians and Pokemon make great Monks, as well as Humans. The Monk class is too hard for Toads to handle, meaning they cannot use this class. Do you wish to become a Monk?"

After seeing the Monk class, Ryan was all for forgetting about the Warrior class. After all, who wants to run around with a sword and armor when you can send people flying using only your fists? Ryan didn't, that was for sure.

But there were still two more classes left, so he let the figure fade, and watched as another appeared in its place. This one sported a red hat, a red coat, and brown pants and shoes. The hat was adorned with a large white feather, and the coat with white frills and ruffles.

"The Red Mage is considered the strongest all-rounder of the beginner classes. They can use both Black and White magic, although not to the caliber of a specialized Black or White Mage. They have the most limited equipment out of all the beginner classes, being only able to wield swords, and basic armor. They are superior to Black and White Mages in hand to hand combat, as well as trumping Thieves and Freelancers. They can also hold their own against Warriors, using magic to gain the advantage. Their one weakness is that they can only do so much against Monks, as they do not gain enough specialized ability in any one field. They also have trouble dispatching Black and White Mages using magic alone. Hylians and Humans make good Red Mages, as well as Toads. Few Pokemon breeds can become Red Mages, as they need to cover a variety of different abilities instead of specializing in one particular field. Do you wish to become a Red Mage?"

Now it was a tie between the Monk and the Red Mage classes. Ryan considered the two of them. The strong, powerful Monk, or the swift, well-balanced Red Mage. There was only one class left to look at, as the final figure slowly appeared.

"The Freelancer class is considered inferior to most. They grow the fastest out of all the classes, and can learn the most skills. However, they can not specialize in any one field, and can learn only the most basic of magic. Despite this, they can wield the most weapons for any one class in the game. These simple abilities, although slight, get this often misplaced class a well-needed edge. They can surprise the melee classes with a surprise magic attack, and, once trained, are deadly to magic users. Their only true weakness lies with Red Mages, who can fend off anything that a Freelancer can throw at them with a superior attack. Anyone can become a Freelancer, although no one species has an advantage or disadvantage while using this class. Do you wish to become a Freelancer?"

Ryan stopped. A Freelancer. Using such a class would be a challenge, but wasn't that what playing games was about? Challenging oneself? And he would quickly gain in power, something that could be useful.

He then uttered eight words that would affect his game for a long time to come. He would groan, celebrate, cheer, and even scream because of his choice.

"Yes, I do wish to become a Freelancer."

The game then responded: "Confirm character class: Freelancer?"

"Yes."

"Character class confirmed as: Freelancer."

There was another flash, and Ryan, once again, appeared to not have changed at all. He sighed, and waited for the game's next action.

Three pictures appeared, hanging in the air. The game's voice rang out.

"Please choose a world to unlock. This will be your starting world."

The first world was described as the Mushroom Kingdom.

"The homeland of the Toads, the Mushroom Kingdom contains mostly mountains and plains. There are a few citadels and towns, each one of them some distance from each other. Despite this, many of the lands within the Mushroom Kingdom are somewhat safe for beginners. Beyond it lie other lands, which may also be explored. Players who chose to start off as Toads must choose this world."

The second world was described as Hyrule.

"A land of lush forests and beautiful lakes, Hyrule is home to the Hylians, amongst other species. There are only a few towns of any real population, the greatest city being Hyrule Castle Town. There are few other lands nearby, but the land of Hyrule is very vast in itself. Player who chose to start off as Hylians must choose this world."

The third and final world was described as Kanto.

"A region varying in locations as much as the different types of Pokemon lying within it, Kanto is home to both Humans and Pokemon. Humans who come from Kanto often select a profession that includes the use of Pokemon. Pokemon, however, are more varied, and are known as the most diverse species of them all. Players who chose to start off as Pokemon must choose this world."

Ryan sat there, on the platform, in quiet thought. He had made his character. Now he just had to pick the world to start off in. Would he choose the bright land of the Mushroom Kingdom, the medieval land of Hyrule, or the region known as Kanto? He slowly sat there, considering his options…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Took me a while to write this. Anyway, when you review, please leave a note stating which world you think that Ryan should start off in. I'll be leaving a few choices like this in your hands, so this will not be the last time I'm going to leave a decision up to the vote. Anyway…

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


	5. I Rule, You Rule, We All Rule in Hyrule!

For the first time in goodness-knows-how-long, (if ever) Ultra Blader is seen walking towards the readers.

"Dun dun dun! I am doing to something which I have never truly done before. I am going somewhere I have never actually gone… No, I'm not going to sing karoke, I'm going to start answering each and every one of your reviews!"

A random person, who was walking by, decided to explain.

"He decided to do that to bring up the word count…"

"Argh! Go away, random person! I did not decide to do this just to bring up the word count!"

"The key word here folks, being 'just'…"

Ultra Blader groaned, and motions for the random person to leave. He does so.

"Anyway, after that random attempt at bad humor, I'll start answering your reviews! Now, people, in my last installment of this story, I asked which of three worlds should Ryan go to first. The voting was close, (as only three people actually voted…) so let's get to work!"

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From KCSonic:

Wow, thease updates come faster and faster. I want to see Ryan start out in Kanto. I can't imagine him trying to fight a small little Pichu. I have a couple of questions for you though:

1.) Is being a Pokemon Trainer a class, or just mentioned for the sake of Pokemon?

2.) Why don't you allow readers to submit their own characters that could meet up with Ryan at one point or another? I'm sure it would get you more reviews.

My Reply:

Firstly: Thanks for noticing that my updates are coming at a faster speed. I try my best.

Secondly: Ryan fighting a Pichu? Hmm… It'd be a close match… (Maybe not).

Thirdly: Yes, I do plan to make Pokemon Trainers a recognized class. It would be used like the Summoner class from Final Fantasy, with a few differences. However, it will be an unlockable class, so you won't see people playing as Pokemon Trainers right from the word go.

Fourthly: Yes, people will be able to submit their own characters. And yes, they will meet up with Ryan. Some will have minor roles, and some will have large roles, depending on what I decide to do with the character.

"Plus, he could really use the reviews."

"Random person, I thought I told you to leave."

"I came back. Doing nothing was boring."

"Fine. You can stay. Just don't make any more annoying remarks."

"So in other words, don't say anything that is the truth?"

"Exact… No! I mean, just don't say anything!"

"Okay!"

Anyway, after that second random attempt at humor, thankyou for your review.

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After KCSonic's Vote:

Mushroom Kingdom: 0

Hyrule: 0

Kanto: 1

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From Zeni S. Master:

awesome story! i'd like to see him start in Hyrule. Ryan might see Link again

My Reply:

Thanks! I'll take your vote into account. Thankyou for your review.

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After Zeni S. Master's Vote:

Mushroom Kingdom: 0

Hyrule: 1

Kanto: 1

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From Jolteon Master:

Very good. I am really liking this story. I'm glad you chose to keep him as close to himself as possible instead of becoming a new species and class. I actually would have thought he would want to start back in Trial Land, with all his old buddies. But try to start off with Hyrule so he can seek out Link, or Kanto so he can find Lucario. Have him meet some old friends then gain new ones. I like how most of the classes were from Final Fantasy.

My Reply:

Firstly: Considering the plot that's planned for this story and its successors, I want to keep things as simple as possible for Ryan. There is still going to have to be different people, in order to keep the story, and the characters original, so don't expect many people to remain the same.

Secondly: In Chapter Two, the Trial Lands were closed after Ryan passed the final test. They may make a comeback, but not for some time.

Thirdly: You can only vote for one of the worlds, I'm afraid. And since yours is the last vote, you naturally have to be the tie-breaker. Since I can't just give both worlds half a vote, I'll give the vote to the first one you mentioned: Hyrule.

Fourthly: Even though he will be going to Hyrule first, he won't be able to find Link right away. It'll be some time before that. He'll meet some new people beforehand.

Fifthly: It's good to know that you like them. It seemed too hard to make original beginner classes, so I just copied some Final Fantasy classes instead! (Actually, there's going to be quite a few Final Fantasy classes in this story.)

"You might like to know, Jolteon Master, that he's just buttering you up so you'll write more fanfiction, and in particular Curse or Fate, which he happens to be a fan of…"

"Wha… hey! Be quiet!"

"It's true! He's a big fan of Curse or Fate, and yet he's never posted a single review! That's just plain mean!"

"Listen! Stop talking, and I might consider you for a role in Darkness and Light."

"That weird story? The one where everything is serious and dramatic one chapter and then silly and ridiculous the next? Nobody reads that! It's been up a week and it hasn't got a single review!"

"It's just misunderstood…"

"No! It's either Last Game Standing or Super Smash Bros. Duel. Failing that, I might take a position in Camping Chaos, IF it ever starts getting written again."

"Okay, okay. I'll think about giving you a position in one of my best fanfics. Just please, stop!"

"Fine."

"Anyway, I'm sorry about that, Jolteon Master. I will start reviewing Curse or Fate ASAP. After all that, thankyou for your review."

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After Jolteon Master's Vote:

Mushroom Kingdom: 0

Hyrule: 2

Kanto: 1

"Well, it looks like Hyrule wins. Anyway, onto our final review!"

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From TARDISreviewer:

kinda expected a few FF references there.

(and I expect GILGAMESH now.)

My Reply:

Yes, I did plan for a healthy dose of Final Fantasy.

I hadn't really thought about putting Gilgamesh in. I might. Maybe.

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Anyway, that's the end of today's reviews. I'd like to thank everybody for reviewing. Reviews are keeps me going when I get writer's block.

Without further ado, onto today's chapter!

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Last Game Standing

Chapter Five: I Rule, You Rule, We all Rule in Hyrule!

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Ryan cleared his throat, about to announce his decision.

"I would like to start in Hyrule!"

The game spoke up. "Confirm starting world: Hyrule?"

Ryan responed with a loud "Yes!"

"Starting world confirmed as: Hyrule."

The darkness started to fade. Light began to flood into the area. The game's voice began to speak.

"All game requirements are now confirmed. Name: Ryan. Gender: Male. Species: Human. Class: Freelancer. Starting World: Hyrule."

The platform Ryan was standing on flipped him high into the air, then flipped itself. The other side of the platform was revealed to be a portal. He fell through the portal, no control over where he could go…

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Thud.

Ryan fell to the ground. He picked himself up, and looked around.

He was in the same temple that he was in when he played the Trial Version. He glanced around, before looking out the window.

Big mistake.

What Ryan saw shocked him to his very core. Bright silvery clouds were below the temple. But that was only the beginning. The temple was floating in mid air. Another power of the Ancients.

When he asked one of the Ancients about this, the sage he was talking to simply smiled, and said: "Those clouds are made of unstable plasma, which was created thousands of years ago. Since then, this temple has remained aloft. We don't know anything about what has happened to world below. The last we saw of it, it was about it be destroyed by a massive cataclysm that was created out of the sheer greed of corrupt leaders. It is said that until the very essence of what keeps the Gates bound together exists, it will be impossible to pass to and from the land below. Some have tried to disprove this tale, but none have as much as touched the plasma clouds without disintegrating. After the first few attempts, none have dared to test the vicious power of the plasma."

After the lesson, Ryan looked around, and located one Gate which looked different to the rest. Most of the Gates were slivery-grey, while this one was lush and green. Within a few moments, he had bounded towards the Gate, and leapt into it, eager to begin his journey once more.

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Thud.

"Ow…"

Ryan had just learnt an important lesson about the Lands of the Gates: Never run through a gate wildly, expecting to gently float towards the ground, because you won't. You'll drop down, right until the moment you hit something.

Picking himself up, he found himself in the middle of a village.

_Hmm… _Ryan thought to himself. _Looks like Ordon Village from Twilight Princess. Wait a minute… That's because it IS Ordon! Okay, so it looks a bit different, hence the temple with a Gate, but it's still the same old Ordon…_

Next, Ryan looked at himself, to see what he could do.

_I've still got the Thorn Branch, not a bad little weapon, that. I'm wearing basic clothing as armour… could be worse, I suppose… Wait… No Heal, no Sleep, no PK Fire, and no PK Freeze! And I can't use Aura anymore! Talk about unfair! …Still, I can use my Spinning Slash Tech, so it's not all bad…_

Having run out of things to do, Ryan walked towards the store in Ordon: Sera's Sundries.

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"Hello, adventurer! I'm Sera, and this is my store, Sera's Sundries."

Ryan looked at the large, kindly faced Hylian woman. He ruffled around, searching for any resemblance of a wallet. Finding something which seemed to fit the bill, he pulled it out… to reveal that it was empty.

"Short on cash, are you hon'? Sorry, but you can't by anything from me, then. If you want money, try doing a few jobs around town, or killing a few monsters. You'd be amazed by how many rupees a spider can carry." Sera said.

Ryan left the store, disappointed.

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Fado was busy, trying to herd the goats into the barn, when Ryan ran up.

"Hey. Do you need any help?" Ryan asked.

"Sure. Just get the goats into the barn. If you do a good job, I might even pay you!"

Knowing that in games, the words: "might even pay" really means: "how much money do you want," Ryan sprang into action. He ran about, yelling at the goats to come into the barn. He spent ten minutes, putting every ounce of energy he had into convincing the goats into the barn.

Despite his best efforts, he was completely unable to get the goats into the barn. As a last ditch attempt, he grabbed one of the slowest goats by the horns, and faced it, giving it very clear instructions.

"Tell your friends to go into the barn, NOW!" He yelled.

Big mistake.

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Princess Zelda of Hyrule was quietly reading a book in her bedroom within the castle at Hyrule Castle Town. Suddenly, he heard a slight noise. It sounded quite soft, and then got louder and louder, before becoming soft once more…

"aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!"

She looked around, trying to find the source of the strange noise. Then, when she decided that the cause of the noise had truly gone, she decided to return to her book.

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Thud.

That was the third time Ryan had fallen to the ground all day. It was beginning to become a bad habit.

He picked himself up. He appeared to be uninjured, and he attempted to dust himself off. "Blasted goats," He muttered to himself. "How was I to know that it wasn't the way to handle them?"

Looking around, he noticed that the Mayor of Ordon, Bo, was attempting to catch his attention.

Shrugging to himself, Ryan walked towards the Mayor.

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"You seem to be an adventurer."

Ryan nodded. Everyone seemed to realise that he was an adventurer just by looking at him.

"Please help! Every night, we of Ordon Village can hear at strange cackling noise coming from Ordona Spring. Please, you must destroy the fiend that is desecrating the hallowed spring! It is the pride of all of Ordon! …apart from our goats and our awesome swords. How many other villages have goats with such strong horns that you can make swords out of them? Huh? Huh?"

"Err… none?"

"Correct. Now, if you would deal with the monster? I'm willing to pay…"

At the moment that Ryan heard the magic word: "pay," he was sold.

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Crunch.

Ryan stepped on another enemy spider. A rupee bounced out of it's body, before it exploded.

Ryan held the rupee high in the air. He had already gained several hundred rupees. He had gone shopping in Ordon, and had bought several healing items. He had also learnt the spells Fire and Blizzard. Not bad for a days work.

Now, he thought, as he approached Ordona Spring, the real battle starts.

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"I'm telling you, Bryonel, we need another fighter!"

"Aren't I good enough!"

"You are good, but not enough to be the only major fighter in a boss battle!"

Ryan looked around. Two young men, a Warrior and a White Mage, were arguing with each other.

"Listen, Cenn! I'm good enough to take on any old beast! Just leave the battle to me!"

"You sure? That might not be a good idea…"

"Oh really? Fine! You've got one minute to find someone to help us!"

"One minute? …Fine. Be right back."

"You won't find anyone!" Bryonel called out to the walking Cenn.

"Hey." Ryan said as he approached the White Mage. "Need a hand?"

"You bet. Super Bryonel over there thinks he can just slug away at a boss and expect it to faint clear away."

"Well, I'll help." Ryan replied.

"Really? Thanks!" Cenn said happily.

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"You're back already? …hey, what's with the Freelancer?" Bryonel asked suspiciously.

"You said I had one minute to find help. Well, I did." Cenn replied crisply.

"But a Freelancer! I wouldn't mind a Monk or another Warrior, or maybe even a Thief, but a Freelancer?"

"Hey. Your friend asked for my help, and I was happy enough to oblige." Ryan refuted.

Bryonel saw that he wasn't going to win the argument, and groaned. "Fine, he can stay. Also long as he does his share of fighting, he can stay."

"Thanks," Ryan said, "now, which way to Ordona Spring?"

"This way," Cenn replied. "We're almost there now."

It wasn't long before Ryan started noticing changes in the environment. The texture of the area grew brighter and brighter, despite the sable cloak of darkness that had left over the area, since night had now fallen. Just as Mayor Bo had said, strange cackling could be heard from the spring.

Bryonel turned to his two companions. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Ryan said.

"All set." Cenn noted.

"Then let's go." Bryonel said finally, before the three of them marched into Ordona Spring, ready to face their first boss battle, and their first truly terrifying opponent.

TO BE CONTINUED…

What do you think? I tried putting as many attempts of humor in this chapter, but the next won't have many. Cenn and Bryonel are completely original characters, and belong to me.

Next time, there will be a boss battle, and some more exploring around Hyrule. Stay tuned! And don't forget to review!

Until next time,

Ultra Blader

P.S. Just so you know, I would prefer that you give any characters you wish to have a major part in the story a proper description, so I know what kind of person they are. You can choose to give them a past or not. If you do, then that will be their past. But if you don't, then I'll see if I can give them a good back-story.


	6. Shadow Beast Blues

Ultra Blader is seen walking towards the readers. "Hello. Since you all took the time to reply, I thought it was only fair that I reply to your reviews. So, without further ado, or the annoying random person this time, let's start answering your reviews! And this time, no annoying random person! Yay!"

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From KCSonic:

I have a character you can use, but I was hopeing he could be a pokemon trainer, so i'll save him for later. Why can't Ryan use his old abilities?

My Reply:

Thanks. It's good that you've thought of a character. Post him with your review or PM me when you think that its time to use him. Also, Ryan can't use his old abilities because he learned them in the Tutorial Lands. He only learned them to understand how to play the game. Thank you for your review.

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From Ayane the Game Master:

This is awesome :D I wanna submit a character! The description is in my profile and I won't put it here because I'm kinda lazy and that would take up some time. His name's Kidd btw.

He can be a Human Warrior I guess, although you can make him into a Hylian Warrior if you want. As for the past thing, what do you mean by it exactly? Please tell me so I can give him one ^^; And after I give the past of his, make him into a main character. I wounn't really care which homeworld you put him in though.

Thanks!

My Reply:

Okay. I'll make him a Hylian Warrior. We have a few too many Human characters at the moment. But I don't know if I can make him a main character, but I'll try.

By giving him a past, you would give him more detail. I could do a chapter on his real life, or shape his behaviour. It doesn't really matter either way whether you give him one or not, though. Thank you for your review.

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From Shadow Minamoto:

Hi there, lemme start off by telling you that I've just stumbled upon this story and I think that it's absolutely amazing! Actually... I rather enjoy stories that are based upon virtual reality games. You don't see many of them, and I can't wait to see more from you.

Now, you said something about submitting a character, correct? Well, I would like to submit one, but seeing how I can go a little overboard with my character creating, allow me to PM you my character. You'll recive the PM sometime later today.

Until then, Cest la vi!

-Shadow Minamoto

My Reply:

Wait… you think that it's… AMAZING!? Great! I knew people seemed to like it, but I didn't think that it would be considered as that good! Thanks!

By the way, I got your PM. I'll include your character into the story when I can. Thank you for your review.

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From Jolteon Master:

Good story. You're making me blush by the way. Thanks for the compliment. Anyway like the original characters. I completely understand the Trial Lands stuff. Thank you for choosing Hyrule first. It makes a little more sense than Kanto. Add a thief next, maybe have her (and I do mean her) being attacked by the boss. It's a character idea. Her name is Sarah (very original i know) she's short, thin, and quick. Extremely stubborn, and doesn't really care for boys. Seeing as she keeps dying when she goes on her own though, she joins them. Is the boss the one from Twilight Princess?

My Reply:

I made you blush? Umm… Anyway, the character you posted is a little unoriginal, but I might be able to have her in as a minor character. I can't have too many major characters at the start of the story, as it will clog up the flow of writing, and let's face it; a complete team of players against the first boss in the game isn't exactly an interesting challenge. But I will put her in. I might make her real name Sarah, but her character's name something else. Any yes, it is the boss from Twilight Princess, the first boss you fight (although in all regard it's really just a mini-boss, since it's an easy fight. Besides, you fight heaps of them later on.) Thank you for your review.

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Anyway, with that all done, on with the story, and the first boss battle!

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Last Game Standing

Chapter Six: Shadow Beast Blues

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"Well, here we are." Cenn noted. "Where's the monster?"

They walked in, ever so slowly. Ryan reached for his Thorn Branch, while Bryonel's hand was grasped on the hilt of his wooden Short Sword. Cenn already had his staff in his grip, glancing around the spring.

As they looked around, strange symbols appeared around the vicinity of the spring. Out of the sky, huge pillars of stone rained down around the perimeter of the blessed place, which was about to become an arena.

"Look out!" Ryan cried, but they were not harmed. However, the pillars activated an energy surge, creating a force field, stopping them from escaping.

"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide," Bryonel murmured. "This could be risky. But I think I know what we're up against."

"It's kinda obvious, isn't it?" Cenn remarked. "I mean, I've played my share of Twilight Princess, and I know what's coming."

A portal opened up above them. A large, gaunt figure fell out, and dropped to the ground. It picked itself up, its claws held up high.

Bryonel and Ryan charged at the Shadow Beast, while Cenn held back, preparing to assist with magical support.

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"How much," Swing "life has," Parry "this annoyingly strong," Dodge "beast got?!" Stab.

"Quit complaining and do some damage!" Bryonel yelled.

"Not my," Weave "fault I," Duck "can't hit this," Swerve "thing to," Cut "save my," Avoid "life!" Thud "…ouch."

"Just stop talking and get on with the job! Gee, Freelancers really ARE useless…"

"Hey!" Thud "…maybe I should have been a Monk after all…"

Ryan was then tossed aside by the Shadow Beast, as Bryonel stepped up to the challenge. He swung his wooden sword at the foe, doing very little damage. The Shadow Beast then grabbed him with its sable hand.

"Scratch that. It's not Freelancers that are useless, it's us…" He said weakly, before being crushed, and tossed aside.

"What are you waiting for?" Cenn snapped. "Get up and fight!" He exclaimed, before letting a soft, white light engulf the wounded Ryan.

Cenn cast Cure! Cenn healed Ryan by 45 Health! Ryan was restored to Full Health!

"Magic, huh?" Ryan wondered. "That gives me an idea…"

"Hey!" Bryonel snapped. "What about me?"

"Wait. Give me a moment to get ready." Cenn replied, before letting the same light cover the injured Warrior.

Cenn cast Cure! Cenn healed Bryonel by 45 Health! Bryonel was restored to Full Health!

Bryonel got to his feet, and charged at the Shadow Beast, performing a Spinning Slash. It cut deeply into the monster, causing it to shriek in pain.

"Oh yeah! Who's the Warrior? I'm the Warrior! Who's the Warrior? I'm the…"

"Look out!" Cenn cried.

Bryonel, in his taunting, had forgotten about the Shadow Beast. It recovered from the blow, picked him up, and then crushed him in its hand, before tossing him aside once more. It then advanced on Cenn, almost daring him to cast Cure, and leave himself unprotected against the Shadow Beast's advance.

Slowly, it caused Cenn to be up against the force field created by the stone pillars. Little could help him now, except a surprise attack…

"Blizzard!"

…Which, thankfully, came in the nick of time, just before Cenn was attacked.

Ryan cast Blizzard! Ryan dealt the Shadow Beast 25 Damage!

The Shadow Beast screamed in pain. Cenn quickly cast Cure.

Cenn cast Cure! Cenn healed Bryonel by 45 Health! Bryonel was restored to Full Health!

Bryonel, now returned to a healthy state, gripped his wooden sword, and cut at the Shadow Beast. Cenn, deciding it was time to start attacking, began hitting the monster with his staff. Ryan lent support, attacking when the Shadow Beast was on the verge of harming one of them. It wasn't long until they finally got what they wanted: A sheer and certain victory.

************************************************************************

Bryonel dealt the final stab. The Shadow Beast fell to the ground, defeated. They had won.

The Shadow Beast exploded into darkness, before its remains began soaring up into the sky, into the portal. The dark pillars of stone faded away, and a new, lumixencet light began to shine its slow, slender, and strong glow.

A mighty creature, a spirit in a guise similar to that of a large Ordon goat appeared before them.

"I am Ordona, one of the Spirits of Light. I have been fighting to survive for so long. Thank you. Now, I am free from that monster's evil grip. As you have saved me, I will tell you something: Hyrule Castle is under attack. Not from the outside, but from within. Monsters crawl from the basements and dungeons. They come in waves, sometimes weeks apart, sometimes mere minutes. Please. You must travel to save them. But the key that opens the gate to Faron Province must be given to you, in order for you to advance. It used to be open to all travelers. But somebody took it, and hid it under the waters of my sacred grove. Please. Accept my gift to you."

Ryan obtained the Ordona-Faron key! Ryan can now open the gate between the Ordona and Faron Provinces! Cenn and Bryonel also obtained copies of the Ordona-Faron key! They can also use the crossing between the Ordona and Faron Provinces! The party was also surrounded by a healing light! They recovered all Health! All Power Gauges, such as Mana (Required to cast Cure and Blizzard) were also filled!

Ordona continued to speak. "Seek out the one known as Link. You will find him in the Faron Province. He is the only one who can allow to advance in your quest. Remember that well. Now, I must depart. Good luck on your quest…" With that, Ordona disappeared, just as morning came.

But the spring still held secrets. "Huh?" Ryan said. At that same time, Cenn and Bryonel also made the same "Huh?" noise. Then, also at the same time, they all picked up a strange, black claw, from the Shadow Beast. Proof that they had defeated the beast for sure.

************************************************************************

"I don't believe it! I knew you looked competent, but I didn't really think that you could defeat that monster!"

Ryan sighed. "Gee, really shows that you had confidence in our abilities, huh?"

"Oh well!" Mayor Bo continued cheerfully. "I guess I should pay you! Now, I have decided to give you a choice in profits. You can either take this lovely pile of cash, or this Ordon Sword. The Ordon Sword is worth slightly more than the money, so you really should take it… Please?"

Bryonel shook his head. "You truly are weird, old man. Not to mention miserly. I wonder if that sword truly is any good, or if it's just a dodgy copy of the real thing."

Bo, still oblivious to the insults, held in his hands a sack of Rupees and an Ordon Sword. Shrugging, Bryonel took the sword, getting used to its feel.

"It seems like a good blade. I'll take it."

"Excellent!" Bo crowed. "Now, I'm sure that the two of you would like one as well?"

Ryan thought for a moment. "While I do like my old Thorn Branch, it's basically useless against armoured enemies. I'd be in a tight spot if I couldn't use attack magic against one of them. I'll take the sword as well."

"Fantastic!" Bo cheered. "Am I right in assuming that you want a mighty Ordon Sword too, young lad?" the Mayor of Ordon said, asking Cenn.

Cenn looked blankly at the Mayor. "I'm a White Mage. I can only currently use staffs. I can learn to use bows and arrows, but that's about it. And yet you ask if I would like a sword. Does it look like I need a sword? Sorry, but I'll take the Rupees."

Bo looked somewhat upset. "Aww… But I have so many Ordon Swords… I get at least six new swords a year. Please take the sword. Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"With a cherry on top?"

"No."

"Sprinkles and icing?"

"No. Unless…"

"What? What?"

"You give me the sword…"

"Yes! Yes!"

"…as well as the Rupees…"

"No! No!"

"Just give me the Rupees."

Bo gave up. "Fine," he said with a huff. "Take the Rupees. I clearly cannot dissuade you. …Unless…"

"No."

"…Understood." Bo said, the last ounce of fight in him finally snuffed out.

The trio left, to explore the area more.

************************************************************************

"So, what level are you now?" Cenn asked.

"Level?" Ryan replied, confused.

"You don't know about your level? Just focus, and it'll come to you, along with other details, such as your class." Bryonel explained.

Ryan focused, and saw details in front of him:

Name……Ryan

Gender….Male

Species….Human

Class…….Freelancer

Level…….7

Health…...42

Mana…….11

"So, that's my details, huh? Can I see yours?" Ryan asked both Cenn and Bryonel.

"Sure." Cenn replied. "Just focus on us for a moment."

A few moments later, Ryan had the information he wanted:

Name……Cenn

Gender….Male

Species….Human

Class……White Mage

Level……6

Health…..38

Mana……24

**********************

Name……Bryonel

Gender…..Male

Species…..Human

Class…….Warrior

Level…….9

Health…...56

"Hey… Why doesn't Bryonel have any Mana?"

"Because I don't need it. It only shows the types of powers you can use. I can't use any special powers other than those that came bundled with the Warrior class, so there is no need for me to have any Mana. If I change classes, then it will appear." Bryonel answered.

Cenn looked around. "Come on, guys. Let's see what else this place has in store. Then we move on to the Faron Province." The other two adventurers agreed, before walking off into Ordon Village.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Not too bad a chapter. I think it could have been longer, but I need to start work on my other stories: Super Smash Bros. Duel and Final Fantasy III: Darkness and Light. If you have the time, please go to the Final Fantasy I-IV section (or go directly to it via my profile) and read it. It's been up for two weeks now, and I haven't got a single review for it yet. Please take a look at it.

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


	7. The Forests of Faron

"I'm back, and ready for some more typing!"

"And I'm back, and ready for some more annoying!"

"Random Person, I thought you had left forever!"

"Aw… Were you worried about me?"

"No… I was ecstatic that you left. I'm worried that you decided to come back."

"Hey! That's not nice!"

"Fine, I won't be mean if you aren't particularly annoying and stupid. And no interrupting the story, right?"

"Right. But I can still interrupt in the reviews, can't I?"

"Er… Maybe. If you're a good Random Person."

"Yay!"

************************************************************************

From Jolteon Master:

Alright great story. I'm really liking it. I can see how you wouldn't like Sarah, so let me give a new idea.

Carana, girl, she's a Bellossom name in real life is Carly. Her past is that she is filthy rich and famous. But of course she won't tell anyone. She came into the game to try and avoid any paparazzi for a while. She chose a pokemon because ever since she was little she always had a fascination for them. She still has that air of being better than everyone else, but she tries to not show it.

Keep writing! I really want to see how the rest of this story goes.

My Reply:

Hmm. A better character. I think that she might make the grade. However, she won't be around for a while. Thank you for your review.

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From Zeni S. Master:

awesome chapter! ...i don't get why the mayor has so many swords though...but otherwise it was awesome! i have a character too. her names Mari and can she be a Hylian Red Mage? she's short-tempered, smart but does stuff without thinking, violent, kind till angered, loud, and kind of a show-off. that's basically it...hope she's good enough!

My Reply:

Yay! It's good to hear good comments. I might put Mari in sooner or later, so watch out for her! Thank you for your review.

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From KCSonic113:

Nice chapter. That's good teamwork that the group has. Eh, what the heck. I'll submit my guy now:

Name: KC

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Class: Pokemon Trainer

Level: 10

Health: ? Up to you.

Mana: ? Up to you.

History: He was a tester for the game before it came out, and his father worked with the games designers, so he got an early copy.

Appearance: He's 6' 4" tall. He wears a light black unzipped jacket over a blue tee shirt, black jeans, blue fingerless gloves, grey and red sneakers, and a black baseball cap. He also has a golden necklace with a silver Pokeball-shaped charm on it around his neck. His eyes are a blue-green color.

Personality: He's not someone who acts like he knows everything about the game. He's really fun loving, and caring.

His powers: His Pokemon and his pendant (I'll explain)

Squirtle: His most trusted Pokemon. This was the first one he had, and he's closest to him. Squirtle is very loyal, and he's a bit of a prankster.

Bulbasaur: His second Pokemon. He and Bulbasaur are close friends, because the pokemon always has a clam air about him.

Charmander: He's a bit of a hot-head, but he has a very caring soul.

His pendant: Well, it's technically called battle armour. KC suggested it to his dad, who in turn suggested it to the company. When activated, KC can merge with one of his Pokemon, and fight with there powers. If you want a better description, check out my story, Super Smash Brothers Clash.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. If you need anymore info, just pm me.

My Reply:

Okay, pal, I'm going to have to be a bit blunt here, so bear with it. Here it comes: this guy is pretty much a Mary Sue. Firstly, it would be unfair to start with all three starters. The Pokemon Trainer job will only start with one Pokemon to summon, that being one of the starters, and for it to be extremely weak at the time. Secondly, the pendant not the best thing to have early on in the game. If it were to be an item, it was only being obtained after a long, grueling quest, not handed to you in the first five minutes. I might include it in the story, but not for a long time to come.

If you do want to see KC in the story, you'll have to agree to have him not have the pendant for an extremely long time, and not to start with all three starters. On top of that, he would be a least a bit lower in levels compared to Warriors, Freelancers, Monks, etc. who started playing around the time he started, because the Pokemon Trainer was not one of the starting classes, and therefore would have to be earned. But the level you set would be considered O.K. by the time Ryan would make it to Kanto, or KC to Hyrule.

I'm sorry I had to give you such a grilling, but I really don't want this story overflowing with Mary Sue characters. I appreciate the fact that you submitted a character. Just agree to the terms I've set, and I'll put him in. Thank you for your review.

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From Ayane the Game Master:

You don't have to give him a whole chapter, shaping his behavior sounds good. I just want him to run around with the others and stuff.

Since you said a past is not needed, I'll just not make him one, I guess. Making pasts are hard...

This story is still awesomeness though! I'll keep reading!

My Reply:

Okay, maybe I won't give him a whole chapter. I will put him in very soon…

"In other words, expect him in about half a year…"

Be quiet! I'm trying to answer reviews!

"And I'm trying to get more lines."

Anyway, I'll make up stuff about him as I go along.

"Like you do with everything else you post on this site."

For the last time, random person, be quiet! Anyway, thank you for your review.

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From FE96jAFFAR:

This is a really good story! Keep it up.  
However, for recieving items, I think it should be more like game text, specifically announcing each character getting each item one by one, seperately for each character.  
Now that I've said that, I'd like to submit a character.  
Name: Kuron  
Race: Pokemon (Chimchar)  
Class: Thief  
Gender: Male  
Personality: With a devil-may-care attitude, Kuron doesn't take any other player very seriously, but will take bosses and stronger monsters quite seriously. He has a bad habit of standing up to and not respecting authority figures.  
If you can use my character, then that would be awesome.  
If not, then it's ok.

My Reply:

Hmm… I'll consider him. I've noticed a trend with submitted characters…

"You mean how none of them are Toads?"

Err… Yes, actually, that has confused me a bit.

"Maybe it's because Toads make terrible characters?"

Now that you mention it… Hey! What's wrong with Toads?

"What's wrong with Toads? Don't you mean 'What's right with Toads?'"

Hey! I mean, I never really thought that they would be very popular, but…

"Face it. Toads just don't make very good adventurers."

Fine. Anyway, thanks for your review, FE96jAFFAR. It's always nice to see a new face amongst the reviewers.

************************************************************************

"Whew…Quite a lot of reviews this time."

"Keep 'em coming, people! UB feels more motivated to write when he gets lots of reviews!"

"…You know, I think that I'm finally starting to like this guy…"

"…They help bring up the word count!"

"…On the other hand, nope, still hate him…"

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Last Game Standing

Chapter Seven: The Forests of Faron

************************************************************************

"Can this place be any more, well, 'foresty'?"

The trio wandered through the Faron Province. They made an unlikely trio: The Fighter, the Healer, and the All-Rounder. However, they could also be considered as: The Stubborn Brute, The Person Who Actually Has a Brain, and the Village Idiot. However, at the moment we will call them by their names: Bryonel, Cenn, and, of course, Ryan.

Bryonel smacked Ryan on the head with his hand. "Stop being such an idiot! It's a forest! Of COURSE its going to be 'foresty'!"

Ryan rubbed his now-sore head. "I was just asking…"

"Hey guys! I found Link!" Cenn called, who had been walking ahead of the others.

"What? Come on, Cenn! It would take a lot longer than five minutes in this place to find Link! …oh, so you did find him. Sorry, my mistake." Ryan said, miffed.

The trio approached the green-clad Hylian, prepared for a cut-scene.

They were right.

************************************************************************

"Hi-yah! Wah! Yah!" Link shouted, as he practiced several different sword techniques.

"Excuse me, but are you Link?" Bryonel asked.

"Yah! Wah! Hah-yah!" Link called out, as he finished his sword techniques. "Wait… Bryonel! Cenn! Ryan! I haven't seen you guys in ages!" He beamed.

"Link, we've been looking for you. Apparently, Hyrule Castle Town is under attack, from within its walls!" Cenn explained.

"If we don't leave soon, we might never stop the evil beings from their assault on the castle. We need to do something!" Ryan stated.

"I would do something, and I will, but there is a problem. You see, Faron's Forest Temple is currently controlled by evil creatures, and the only way to stop them is to destroy what is drawing the evil near. I've been training in these woods, preparing an assault on the Forest Temple. However, one person on their own would have trouble fending off an army of creatures, but a small group, a small, elite team, would be able to defend each other, and be able to take out the nexus which is creating all of these problems."

"But we need to get to Hyrule Castle!" Cenn protested.

"I know, but the Forest Temple covers a lot of Faron Wood. If we can cleanse it of evil, then we secure a large share of this province. Of course, I wouldn't expect you to risk your lives for free, so I'll gift you with the ability to use the Ranger class when we finish our quest. It's your call. What should we do?"

************************************************************************

"Hmm… A new class, or to continue our original quest…" Cenn pondered.

"I say we keep going with what we have. If we take the other quest, we'll just waste time." Bryonel decided.

"You sure about that? I want to know what's in that temple. You never know what might come in handy." Ryan replied.

"Look, it all comes down to if we want the Ranger Class or not. I don't know about you guys, but I'm sticking to being a Warrior."

"I don't want to switch," Cenn decided. "I like being a White Mage."

"I think we should just go with what we know." Ryan said. "If we take too much on at once, then we'll never finish our original quests."

"Alright," Bryonel finished. "We go to Hyrule Castle."

************************************************************************

"We'd like to go to Hyrule Castle, please." Cenn told Link.

"Hyrule Castle. Okay. Off we go!" the Hylian said cheerfully.

Link joined the party!

************************************************************************

Name……Link

Gender…..Male

Species…..Hylian

Class……..Ranger

Level……..18

Health…….274

************************************************************************

The quartet made their way through the forest, stopping occasionally to fight monsters, or talk.

"Yes!" Cenn exclaimed. "I finally learned Aero! Now I can start doing some real damage!"

"'bout time too," Bryonel agreed. "We need some more help fighting the monsters. They keep getting harder and harder to beat."

"That's just because you guys are so underleveled. If you took the time to train, you would find them pretty easy to fight." Cenn retorted.

"Hey guys!" Ryan exclaimed. "I've found the exit to the woods!"

"Already?" Cenn murmured. "This is odd. Even the path to Ordona Spring was shorter than this."

But, indeed, the path lead out of the woods. The quartet stepped outside, into Hyrule Field, incurring another cutscene.

************************************************************************

The four adventurers walked out of Faron Woods, before hearing a rumbling sound. They turned around, and saw a tar-black darkness seeping out of the woods. The twilight now controlled the forests of Faron.

Link drew his blade, and tried to attack the darkness, but to no effect. Entrance into Faron was impossible now.

After several attempts to enter, the group gave up any thoughts of entry, and turned back, towards Hyrule Field, the Lanaryu Province, and Hyrule Castle Town.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Short, but I wanted to update before too long. Anyway, was going to write about the Forest Temple, but that will just have to wait until later.

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


	8. The Shadows Beneath the Castle

"Hello everyone! I'm back with yet another update."

Silence.

"…Strange. This is normally where the random person turns up and promptly irritates me to a level never-before-seen."

The silence continued.

"Guess I deserve a holiday from him once in a while."

The silence continued to continue.

"So… Um… Er… Nothing to talk about..."

The silence continued to continue to continue.

"…Meh, who cares about this bit of dialogue, anyway? You've all either dropped off to sleep, or skipped ahead to read the review replies or today's chapter."

The silence continued to continue to continue to… well, you get the idea.

************************************************************************

From Jolteon Master:

Hm...so you're just gonna have them all turn into beasts? If you do please make Bryonel a bunny, that would be hilarious. Now that you think about it a Toad isn't really a character an actual person would pick, not one who wants to take the game seriously at least. So make a toad just for the heck of it.  
Name: Flughrought (Male)  
Class:Black Mage (he's not stupid)  
Personality: He's a joker who doesn't take anything too seriously unless it's life threatening. But he's not stupid so he picked a good class for Toads. You could compare his battling to being an airheaded blond who has no clue what's going on but is just blasting for the hell of it.

Hey. You said you wanted a Toad, adjust him to suit your needs. KEEP WRITING!!

My Reply:

I'm thinking about either turning them all into wolves, random beasts, or just keep them the way they are… nah, that would be no fun. But Bryonel as a rabbit? …Hmm… Embarrassing AND funny. I'll think about it.

I did want a Toad Character. Well, sort of, anyway. Thanks for him. By the way, from now on, I do not want any more character suggestions from anybody. I don't want this story overflowing with too many random characters, since I have most of the wanted characters planned already. However, I will take your suggested character into account. Thank you for your review.

P.S. Keep writing as well! I'm still eagerly anticipating the next (and final) chapter of Curse or Fate! (And quite possibly a sequel! ^_^)

************************************************************************

From KCSonic113:

Heh, I guess you're right. He does seem WAY to powerful this early on. Can he just have Squirtle then? And I didn't think when I just pulled him from my story.

My Reply:

Okay. He's accepted. He'll appear sooner or later, so just watch out for him. Thank you for your review.

************************************************************************

From Ayane the Game Master:

Yay! It's Link! And you talking with that random person's hilarious , you should give him a name. Thanks again!

My Reply:

Yes, Link is back. The random person is… somewhat humourous… I just don't know where he's disappeared off to… Currently thinking for a name for him. (Though there is no known name in the English, or any, for the matter, language suitable for him. Except perhaps "annoyance," "twit," or "idiot." Thank you for your review.

************************************************************************

"So many reviews, so little time."

The silence continued to continue to continue to… "ARRGH! Even when he's not here, he still has an annoying affect on the world around him!"

************************************************************************

Last Game Standing

Chapter Eight: The Shadows beneath the Castle

************************************************************************

A short while after leaving Faron Province, Ryan, Bryonel, Cenn and Link found themselves at the gates of Hyrule Castle Town. The sun shone brightly onto the walls that had protected this citadel from harm for centuries.

For Ryan, it was a moment of amazement, as he looked upon the first major city he would come across in the game.

For Bryonel, it showed a chance to get stronger, and to access more weaponry, items, and complete the quest that they were on.

For Cenn, it was a chance to high-tail out of the party before he was hacked up into small pieces by a nasty creature with a very obscure name.

And for Link, there was nothing, because he was an NPC and therefore only semi-important, despite being an extremely strong NPC, which raised his importance caliber by about fifty percent. However, since semi means half, which means that his importance caliber was already at fifty percent, and was then raised by a further fifty percent, leaving him with an importance caliber of one hundred percent, making him as important as a normal player. However, since I've wasted too much time talking about Link's importance caliber, I have no space or time left to explain what he was thinking about. Oh dear!

Ryan and Bryonel would both get what they wanted. Cenn, however, would have to wait to get his wish.

************************************************************************

The quartet made their way to the Castle, where they were quickly admitted access by the guards the moment they saw Link. This raised Link's importance caliber by a further twenty percent, making him more important than anyone else in the party! Huzzah!

Ryan and Bryonel instantly questioned this way of "keeping score", while Cenn just held his head in his hands and silently wept at their stupidity.

************************************************************************

They walked to the throne room, where the esteemed Princess Zelda now was. A cut scene ensured once again.

"Oh! Link! You came!"

Link walked towards the princess and knelt down. "As I pledged."

"Hmm… And who are these people?"

"They are my companions and assistants."

"Oh. Good. Now, we must move. Our enemy has a firm foothold in our lower dungeons. If you and your allies can infiltrate their base, and defeat their leader, we may yet stand a chance."

"Understood. What kind of enemy do we face?" Link inquired.

"Shadows. Monstrous shadows. They copy your form, or that of a monster's. Be careful, all of you." Zelda cautioned.

************************************************************************

They walked towards the doors to the dungeons. Bryonel whispered in Ryan's ear. "Since we have we been classified as 'assistants'? Aren't we supposed to be heroes?"

"Dunno," Ryan murmured. "But if we can win this upcoming boss battle, we're sure to get something awesome!"

"Is that your motto or something?"

"Meh. Come on, we'd better keep moving."

A few feet away, Cenn was groaning under his breath. "I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die!"

That more or less explained Cenn's thoughts on the situation.

************************************************************************

They trudged through the dungeons for what felt like hours, although it was probably only about ten minutes. No enemies had come their way. This might have been useful, but it wasn't as reassuring as it could have been.

Suddenly, they stopped. Link looked around. "This should be the place," he stated. "The monster should be somewhere nearby."

But no monsters were in sight.

Cenn sighed, out of both relief and fear. "Guys, if there's no monster, there's no point staying here. Let's just…Ah!"

Four misshapen blobs fell from the ceiling of the dungeon. Slowly, they grew, and took form, each one bearing an uncanny resemblance to each of the adventurers.

As swiftly as the blobs had fallen from the ceiling, Link dispatched each one of the false heroes. Each one of them fell to the ground, broken and fused.

Except one. The Link clone was injured, but not defeated. It raised its head to the roof, and shrieked.

A rumbling noise began. Everyone looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound. But there was no need.

In a matter of moments, a dark substance incased itself around the adventures and the false Link. The clone shrieked with joy, its wounds healing. It had trapped its enemies in its own, unique battlefield. And then, it grew.

Ryan and his companions picked themselves up, and gazed upwards in horror at the now-titanic monster.

They were in trouble now.

**********************************

Sorry it took so long to update. I'll work on updating sooner for now on.

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


	9. Dark Link Duel

"Yawn… hello everyone."

Silence.

"Ah… when the Random Annoying Person left, I was at first slightly freaked out. But now…"

"Hi everyone! Ha ha ha!"

"…I feel perfectly fine."

"Great! Looks like you seem set to be annoyed again!"

"Sigh… I should have known that this peace could not last."

"Nope! No way!"

"…He's got even more energy than before, folks…"

* * *

From Ayane the Game Master:

Daww... it's so short!

I agree with the narrator-person. The enemy growing larger when you think it's done for? Yeah, they're in trouble...!

My Reply:

Yes, last chapter was quite short. But this one should be somewhat longer.

I've been planning this boss battle for a while now. I'm glad I can finally write it down.

Thank you for your review.

* * *

From GigaNerd17:

Cool plot idea! This is the first time I've ever seen a Nintendo MMORPG. *subscribes*

I'm not going to throw an OC at you, but there's a few questions I'd like to ask:

1. Why did you limit your starting worlds to Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule & Kanto? I can understand that some areas would be higher-leveled (EG: the Lylat System, Planet Zebes, etc.), but what about areas such as Dreamland or Eagleland? They don't seem to be any more dangerous than Hyrule.

2. You introduce Link, Lucario, and Lucas during the tutorial, and then you bumb out the Mother franchise? :(

3. Will the Replay Token make a return?

Thanks for considering these questions. Keep on writing!  
--GigaNerd17

My Reply:

I limited myself to those three worlds for good reason. One, it would be too complicated to have access to hundreds of worlds at once, as that would just cause confusion. Make people work to get to places. Two, those are three of the most popular game-worlds the Nintendo has ever made. It will be possible to get from one area of a world to another, such as from the Mushroom Kingdom to the Beanbean Kingdom, or from Kanto to Johto. The further you stay from the beginning area, the harder the battles are. This holds true for all worlds in the game. For example, the most dangerous place in Eagleland would obviously be much harsher than the starting point in Corneria.

Lucas will make a comeback, but not for ages yet. I have a few complex ideas in that area, and it will be a long time before we see him again.

Yes, the Replay Token will return. However, it won't just be considered an awesome weapon. Prepare to see some major muck-ups with this item later on!

Thank you for your review.

* * *

From Jolteon Master:

Cool. Can't wait for the end of that battle. Keeping up with an alter ego can be tedious and I don't blame you for sending Random Guy away for a while. So Zelda does nothing? Think about it. Writing the end for my story has me driving me insane. A sequal? I hadn't even thought about it, hm. Keep Writing!!

My Reply:

Thanks. I know, it's keeping the Annoying Random Person in check.

Zelda will do nothing for now. But she is planned to take part in later battles.

Yes, thinking of the perfect ending for a story can drive you crazy. I enjoyed the end of Curse or Fate, and I'm waiting to see what Hope will look like in later chapters.

Thank you for your review.

* * *

"Alright, people, let the next chapter commence!"

The Annoying Random Person piped up. "Yay! Hooray for Boss Battles!"

"Why me…"

* * *

Last Game Standing

Chapter Nine: Dark Link Duel

************************************************************************

Link pointed his sword at the giant shadow clone. "Guys! I know how to take it out! All we need to do is to defeat it with a Final Smash!"

Cenn immediately saw through this strategy. "But to do that, we need a Smash Ball."

Link held out the aforesaid sphere in the palm of his hand. "I've got one right here. Now, all we have to do is…"

Impatient for the battle to begin, the Giant Dark Link drew the Dark Master Sword, and knocked the Smash Ball out of Link's reach. Freed from Link's capture, the ball floated around, moving this way and that way.

"Quickly!" Link exclaimed. "Grab that Smash Ball! When you have it, it's power will be redirected towards me, and then I'll activate my Final Smash to take that thing down!"

The cutscene ended, and the four readied themselves for battle.

* * *

"Why can't we use the Smash Ball?" Bryonel complained as Cenn began to run after it.

"Because," Ryan stated, "We may not have the necessary Final Smash to take it down."

"Maybe in Cenn's case," Bryonel decided, "But I don't think that it's fair to stop us from seeing our Final Smashes as well."

"Maybe…" Ryan began, but he was cut short when the Giant Dark Link hacked away at them which his sword.

"Great. A boss that we can't hit, yet it can hit us." Bryonel groaned.

"Stop slacking off and get to work!" Cenn complained, casting Cure on Bryonel.

"Thanks." Bryonel said, before dodging a second blow from the monster. "For all this thing's massive size, it isn't very fast."

"Then get to work!" Cenn shouted at his two compainions. Nearby, Link was attempting to distract the creature, without much success.

"I don't think it knows what the Smash Ball is!" He yelled. "As long as you can take it out before he takes us out, we should make it!"

The giant Link turned around, and bashed Ryan, cutting off about half his health in one go.

"Cenn, a little help here…" Ryan muttered.

"Sure." The animation for Cure appeared again, as Ryan was restored to full health again.

The monsterous copy of Link had finally figured out just how important Cenn was to the mission. With one, deadly swing of his blade, he swiftly cleaved Cenn. Surprised by this, Cenn tried to get up, but to no avail. As Ryan rushed to his aid, the Giant Dark Link pulled out a bomb.

"No… not explosives as well!" Ryan yelled, as the deadly explosive dropped through the false Link's hands, and into the area occupying Ryan and Cenn. Ryan cried out as his health nearly dropped to zero. From Cenn however, there was nothing, as a seemingly lifeless heap fell to the ground, feeble and useless.

"No! Cenn! If only I have been faster…"

Bryonel came to his aid. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. But Cenn, he's been defeated."

"I'm sure that he's fine.

"But, even if he did survive the attack, he wouldn't have any more than a couple of Health Points left!"

"Guys…"

"I'm sure that nothing has happened to him. He'll be fine."

"Guys…"

"Okay. Let's get back to fighting for now. For Cenn's sake…"

"GUYS!"

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Cenn…" Ryan did a double take. "CENN?!"

The White Mage stood triumphant. "Thanks for the compliments, guys, but I think that I'll be okay."

"But, how? You looked like you were about to die!"

"Cure... Duh!"

"Oh…"

"And by the way," Cenn continued, hoisting up his wooden cane. "I think I've just solved our giant problem too." He whacked the staff into the Smash Ball. The ball shattered, and passed into Cenn for a split second, before continuing on to Link, who activated it's powers.

"Dark clone of myself, your time is at an end… TRIFORCE SLASH!"

The arena became dark, as Link slashed his foe with the Master Sword. His enemy, incased within the Triforce, was unable to move. Upon the final cut, Link hacked his way through his enemy, defeating his doppelganger, once and for all.

"I think that settles things here," he stated, as though nothing had happened. "Shall we report to Princess Zelda?"

* * *

"So," Zelda pondered. "You stopped the fiend from making any more attacks?"

"Yes," Link replied. "The castle is safe."

"Very good," Zelda decided.

"With your leave, Princess Zelda, I would like to attend to the Faron Woods. They have been overrun with Twilight."

"Very well." Zelda decided. "I wish you and your compainions luck in your upcoming trials."

She turned to exit, but then stopped. "I have forgotten something. As a reward for quelling the beast, I shall award you each a Journey Point. You may use it to enter new Gates, or to further your exploration of lands that you have already visited."

Everyone in your Party received 1 Journey Point!

"However," Zelda continued, "It takes at least three Journey Points to open another Gate, so spend them wisely."

The princess turned, and exited the Throne Room.

************************************************************************

"Well, my friends, shall we continue on to Faron Woods?" Link asked.

Bryonel interrupted. "But Link, how are we supposed to get through that wall of Twilight?"

"Hmm… good question." The Hero of Time mused. "Fortunately, I have a friend who will help us enter the woods. You'll meet her when we get there."

So the four heroes set out. But while they walked, Cenn dropped back to talk with Ryan.

"Hey," he whispered. "Ryan, I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Have you noticed how Link at first acted like a cardboard cut out of a character, but now he's speaking more intelligibly? I'm starting to think that he's not an NPC at all!"

"Chill out, Cenn. I'm sure it's just the programming. Come on, we'd better get to Faron."

"And that's another thing that freaking me out. You and Bryonel are acting as though this game is real! Remember when I was nearly wiped out by that bomb? You two were acting as if I was really dead! And now you say that we have to get to Faron, when you know perfectly well that this is an RPG like any other. And no matter the RPG, you should be able to take as long as you want getting from one place to the other."

"Okay, okay, I get your point. This game just messes with your head a bit. It's proberbly nothing."

But as they wandered back to Link and Bryonel, blissfully unaware of what was coming.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Yay! Another boss battle, though the main characters didn't do nearly as much fighting as they did last time.

Please review!


	10. Into the Twilight

"I'm back, and ready to write!"

"And I'm also back, and ready to annoy!"

"… Random Annoying Person…"

"Yes?"

"…I've come up with a name for you…"

"Really? Wow! What is it?"

"…Miriam…"

"Oh… hey! That's a girl's name!"

"Exactly. Now, shut up, and let me answer the reviews."

* * *

From Shadow Minamoto:

Hahahaha! Nice job with this boss battle. I LOVE Cenn, he's the snarky, intelligent one of the group.

So... I sense Midna making an appearance to help them get past the Twilight? Hee, I can't wait till the next chapter. Wonder how Faron Woods will turn out...

My Reply:

Thanks. I was worried that the boss battle was a tad short, but it's great that you liked it.

I originally wanted Cenn to be a really pious kind of guy, you know, "thou so calm, thou so sacred", but since that would be a major stereotype for a White Mage, I kind of decided that a more "Idiots, idiots, I'm surrounded by idiots" approach might be a bit more interesting. I'm also planning for a few interesting battles later on, which will show Cenn in a new light.

Yes, Midna will be making an appearance. Gee, I don't know who is going to be the more arrogant: Midna or Cenn…

Thank you for your review.

* * *

From GigaNerd17:

Great chapter! Maybe I should write a SSB MMORPG! XD

Well, at least the summary makes sense now.

I REALLY like the idea of Journey Points. Where'd you come up with it?

My Reply:

Thanks. You can write one if you want. I'd have no qualms about it.

Yeah, I really should have changed the summary until the game really began. Until now, it hasn't really meant all that much.

The closest thing to Journey Points would have to be Quest Points, from Runescape. In order to start some quests in Runescape, you need to have acquired Quest Points by, yes; you guessed it, completing other quests. But then again, Journey and Quest Points are still fairly different, so I guess I can really say that it was kind of an original idea.

Thank you for your review.

* * *

From Jolteon Master:

Hmm, now who in the world could Link be talking about? Anyway, good job yet again. The plot thickens. Please remember Bryonel and the bunny. The game taking a life of it's own is very interesting and a good twist that you introduced rather subtly, good job. Keep Writing!!

My Reply:

Okay, to start, I don't know if Bryonel really should be a rabbit. But this is meant to be a humourous fic, so I guess it stands…

Rule One of writing about strange, complex video games… they always either start to develop a mind of their own, or start to change for the sheer necessity of endangering the players. See the books Space Demons, Skymaze, and, most importantly, Shinkei (may or may not be correctly spelt). Seriously, those three books practically sparked the whole "living game" story format. They also make for a great read.

Thank you for your review.

* * *

Last Game Standing

Chapter Ten: Into the Twilight

* * *

They walked. They wandered. They continued to walk. They continued to wander.

In all, they were continuing one of the longest traditions for RPGs: the annoying, seemingly never-ending walk from one area to another.

Finally Ryan asked that one revered question, asked anytime on any journey from five minutes in, to five minutes away from the chosen destination.

"Are we there yet?"

Bryonel scowled. Cenn groaned. Link… said nothing, because they weren't in the middle of a cutscene.

Unable to get a verbal response, Ryan tried again.

"Are we there yet?"

This time, there was a reply. "No, Ryan, we are not there yet. Now, be quiet, or I won't cast Cure on you at the next Boss Battle."

Ryan groaned. "Come on, Cenn! You know that this is boring!"

"Yes, and I question the makers of this game's wisdom and drive to make everything as far apart as possible. Despite that, we still have to keep moving."

And so there was silence. For about two minutes…

"Are we there yet?"

"Ryan, I asked you not to say that. For your incompetence, you can forget about getting free healing from me. You'll have to deal with health problems yourself until you redeem yourself."

"Err… but I can use Cure. Freelancers have access to basic magic, and Cure qualifies."

"So? Last time I checked, you usually use up all of your meager amounts of mana casting Blizzard or Fire before even thinking that you're in danger of being taken out!"

"At least I can use both offensive and defensive magic, and attack properly! Better than some White Mage!"

"…Ryan?"

"…Yes?"

"AERO!"

So while Ryan was blasted by sharp winds conjured up by an annoyed White Mage, Bryonel watched on. Would he remind them that quarrelling and violence wasn't the key? That they should make up and be friends again? That they should possibly log off the game, and have a rest?

Nope, no way.

Instead he did possibly the stupidest thing he could. He ran towards the arguing duo, and asked politely: "That looks like fun! …can I try?"

Cenn smirked. "Be my guest."

While Ryan and Bryonel were surrounded by the sharp winds summoned by Aero, a quiet voice resounded in Bryonel's head.

"You know," said the voice, "you should probably stop mucking around."

"Who cares?" Bryonel replied. "This is too much fun!"

"You are brain-dead, aren't you…?" The voice trailed off.

The winds from Aero were steadily sapping Cenn's mana reserves, so he halted his spell. The sudden shock sent Ryan and Bryonel soaring through the air, before they landed right in front of Faron Woods.

"Huh, looks like I found a new way to travel." Cenn noted. He thought for a moment, and then decided something. "Why not?" He stated, before casting Aero on himself and Link, causing them to fly all the way to Faron Woods, next to Ryan and Bryonel. Wait, sorry, my mistake, RIGHT ON TOP of Ryan and Bryonel.

And so, after that weird and obscure mini-story plot, they had made it to Faron Woods, which was enshrouded with Twilight, the strange, and mysterious demesion that the legendary Twili resided in.

Took them long enough.

* * *

The four heroes looked on at the entrance to the Twilight.

"How do we get in?" Ryan asked.

"Perhaps we have to knock on the entrance?" Bryonel wondered.

Cenn groaned. "Honestly! Anyone would think that you never even played Twilight Princess! Come on, guys! At least do something useful!"

Link, silent as he always was, walked forward, ever confident… and knocked on the entrance.

Ryan and Bryonel stared at Cenn, who sweatdropped. "Well, what do you know?"

And so, after another short, annoying interlude, the entrance to the Twilight rippled. It rippled, and rippled and rippled, and… Meh, you get the idea.

Anyway, Midna, everyone's favourite cursed imp Princess of the Twilight Realm, appeared.

"Huh? Wasn't she meant to have reverted to her original form?" Ryan asked.

"I guess they kept her like that in order to make it look like Twilight Princess." Cenn replied.

Midna cackled. Yes, cackled. I know that it's normally restricted to witches and strange old ladies in funny hats, but this is a game, so it's allowed.

Anyway, Midna cackled. "Do you want to go into the Twilight?" The imp asked.

"Yes." Link said.

"Gee, they really gave Link some massive speaking roles, didn't they?" Ryan sarcastically told Bryonel.

Midna grabbed everyone with her huge, hand-like hair, and pulled them into the mysterious Twilight Realm…

TO BE CONTINUED…

…Right now!

* * *

They looked around the Twilight Realm version of Faron Woods.

"So, this is the Twilight Realm, is it?" Bryonel said.

"No, Bryonel. The fact that we've been just pulled into a strange dimension filled with strange black pixels that are flowing upwards doesn't mean that this is the Twilight Realm." Cenn replied.

"Oh. But that means that we've gone to the wrong mysterious portal…"

"…Of course this is the Twilight Realm!" Cenn yelled.

"…But you just said…"

"…How about you just think what you want to think about, okay?"

"Hey guys, since this is the Twilight Realm, don't you think we should have either turned into spirits, wolves, or assorted animals by now?"

"Now that you mention it… Ah!"

They all fell to the ground. There was a moment of nausea, then nothing.

"Is everyone alright?" Ryan asked.

Link had swiftly become a wolf. No surprise there.

He looked at himself. A dog. Possibly a Golden Retriever or something similar. Not too bad, all things considering. For reasons unknown, he had managed to obtain a brown cap.

He looked for the others. "Cenn? Bryonel? What happened to you guys?"

Cenn crawled out. "I'm okay. Became a red fox. Not so bad, really, though I seem to have a white hood for no reason in particular."

"Yeah, I think that it's meant to show our class. Either that or it's just for show.

"Okay. Where's Bryonel?"

"Haven't found him yet."

"Don't look for me!" Bryonel's voice sounded out.

"I think I can smell him." Cenn said, then looked around slowly.

"You can… SMELL him?!" Ryan replied.

"Duh! I'm a fox now, remember? And man, does he stink!"

"Come on, Bryonel," Ryan said. "It can't be too bad."

"It is. Trust me." Bryonel's voice replied.

Cenn's ears edged upwards. "Found him!"

Bryonel's voice picked up. He was panicking now. "No! Please no!"

"What happened?" Ryan asked.

Bryonel whimpered as the Fox-Cenn nudged him out of his hiding place. Ryan saw him and burst out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me! That's hilarious!" the Dog-Ryan barked with mirth.

An embarrassed Rabbit-Bryonel stared at his allies. "You guys have got it easy. I have the most physical job out of all of us, and I still get the wimpy animal-body."

"You've got that right." Ryan cackled (yes, Ryan's allowed to cackle as well!). "Don't cha, little 'Bunnynel'?"

"This is so not funny…" 'Bunnynel' groaned.

"It is to us!" Ryan continued to bark with laughter.

"Hmm… ADVANCE!"

"What the… HEY! CUT IT OUT!"

Bryonel had taken his revenge on Ryan by activating his Advance ability. Despite his diminutive size, he still managed to do some noticeable damage, and his new, light body made it all the easier, too.

"Ouch… Hey, go easy on the abilities, okay?"

"Only if you go easy on the insults!"

"That's enough, children." Cenn replied, easing the dog and the rabbit apart. "Let's just get moving, okay?"

And so, with that, the now-transformed heroes went forth.

TO BE CONTINUED… SERIOUSLY THIS TIME…

Yay! First chapter in ages. But I've hopefully made up for it now!

This is also the first chapter with Aero and Advance. Both of these will be seen often later in the story, so keep an eye out for them! And don't forget to review!

Until next time,

Ultra Blader


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